Where are neurotransmitters stored before release into the synapse?

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Neurotransmitters are stored in synaptic vesicles within the presynaptic terminal. These tiny, membrane-bound sacs keep the chemical messengers ready for quick release when a signal arrives. When an action potential reaches the bouton, calcium ions trigger the vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic membrane and discharge their contents into the synaptic cleft. The neurotransmitters then travel across the gap and bind to receptors on the postsynaptic side to propagate the signal. Receptors are the targets after release, not storage sites; dendrites and the soma are parts of the neuron involved in receiving and integrating input, not in holding neurotransmitters for release.