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synapse
[ sin-aps, si-naps ]
noun
- a region where nerve impulses are transmitted and received, encompassing the axon terminal of a neuron that releases neurotransmitters in response to an impulse, an extremely small gap across which the neurotransmitters travel, and the adjacent membrane of an axon, dendrite, or muscle or gland cell with the appropriate receptor molecules for picking up the neurotransmitters.
verb (used without object)
- Cell Biology, Physiology. to form a synapse or a synapsis.
synapse
/ ˈɪæ /
noun
- the point at which a nerve impulse is relayed from the terminal portion of an axon to the dendrites of an adjacent neuron
synapse
/ ĭ′ă′ /
- The small junction across which a nerve impulse passes from one nerve cell to another nerve cell, a muscle cell, or a gland cell. The synapse consists of the synaptic terminal , or presynaptic ending, of a sending neuron, a postsynaptic ending of the receiving cell that contains receptor sites, and the space between them (the synaptic cleft ). The synaptic terminal contains neurotransmitters and cell organelles including mitochondria. An electrical impulse in the sending neuron triggers the migration of vesicles containing neurotransmitters toward the membrane of the synaptic terminal. The vesicle membrane fuses with the presynaptic membrane, and the neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic cleft and bind to receptors of the connecting cell where they excite or inhibit electrical impulses.
- See also neurotransmitter
synapse
Other yvlog Forms
- ··پ [si-, nap, -tik], ·t· adjective
- ·t··ly adverb
yvlog History and Origins
Example Sentences
You probably have a general understanding of the human brain: a network of nerve cells connected by synapses.
Results of plasticity simulations were compared to electron microscopy data and a predicted motif effect on synapse strength was confirmed.
These fibers form a contact point to pyramidal cells -- the mossy fiber synapse.
In the current study, the researchers analysed the functional consequences of altered signal balance in 25 individuals induced by the antagonist of autotaxin, which reduces the activated lipids at the synapse.
They then bind to targets on the surface of neurons or in the synapses between them, altering brain function and triggering a cascade of inflammatory processes.
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