Synapses
Definition
Synapses are tiny gaps at the junctions between two neurons where signals are transmitted from one neuron to another.
Analogy
Imagine synapses as little post offices within your brain. They receive messages (or packages) from one neuron and deliver them across a small gap to another neuron.
Related terms
Neurotransmitters: These are chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron (nerve cell) to another 'target' neuron.
Reuptake: This is a process in which neurotransmitters that have not been received by the next neuron are taken back up into the sending neuron. It’s like if a post office took back any undelivered mail.
Axon: This is the long threadlike part of a nerve cell along which impulses are conducted from the cell body to other cells. It's like the delivery truck that carries messages away from the neuron.
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Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (5)
The organic compound Curare blocks action at acetylcholine synapses and causes paralysis. This drug is an example of an
Why might the suggestion that neurons only communicate through synapses, widely accepted in neuroscience, be considered incomplete?
Which scientists' work contributed most significantly to our current understanding of synapses in neural firing?
Which drug is most likely to increase neural firing by inhibiting reuptake of dopamine in the synapses?
What type of medication increases the availability of norepinephrine or serotonin in synapses?
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