synapse
Definition
A synapse is a specialized junction at which a neuron communicates with another neuron or with a muscle or gland cell. It allows the transmission of electrical or chemical signals between cells.
Analogy
Think of a synapse like an airport where messages (passengers) have to transfer from one plane (neuron) to another to reach their final destination. Just as passengers can only move between planes via specific gates, neural signals cross from one neuron to another only through these specialized connections.
Related terms
Neurotransmitter: A chemical substance released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse, causes the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber, or some other structure.
Action Potential: A temporary reversal of an electric polarization of the membrane of a nerve cell or muscle cell, involved in the transmission of impulses.
Neuron: An electrically excitable cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses
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