Untitled 2

In the game of "synaptic tag," you are part of the synapse. The object of the game is to get as many neurotransmitters across the synapse to the dendrite without being caught (deactivated) by the enzyme. It is like a game of tag. Draw or find a space for the axon and a dendrite (see the picture below). Some players are neurotransmitters and they wait in the axon; other players are enzymes, they wait in the gap between the axon and the dendrite. It is best to have more neurotransmitters than enzymes. The enzymes are "it."

When someone says "go," the neurotransmitters run across the synapse as fast as possible without being touched by an enzyme. If a neurotransmitter is touched by an enzyme, it must go back (be reabsorbed) into the axon and wait until the next turn. If a player makes it to the dendrite, the player is safe. Play as many times as you like. Make sure everyone has a chance to be a neurotransmitter and an enzyme. Note: make sure you provide enough space in the axon (synaptic terminal) so players will not run into one another.

Set-up for Synaptic Tag