The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the connection between a motor neuron and skeletal muscle fiber. At the NMJ, the motor neuron terminal releases acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft, which binds to acetylcholine receptors on the muscle fiber membrane. This opens ion channels and generates an endplate potential in the muscle fiber, causing it to contract. Key aspects of the NMJ include synaptic vesicles containing acetylcholine, voltage-gated calcium channels that trigger vesicle fusion and release, and densely packed acetylcholine receptors in the subneural cleft that respond to the neurotransmitter.