Synapse

A junction where a neuron communicates with another cell through chemical or electrical signaling. Synapses transmit signals and can change their strength, shaping neural circuits.

Chemical synapse: A synapse that transmits signals by releasing neurotransmitters across a narrow gap between cells. This is the most common synaptic mechanism in the nervous system.
Action potential: A rapid, traveling change in a cell’s membrane voltage that carries signals along excitable membranes. An arriving action potential commonly triggers neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic terminal.
Synaptic plasticity: The capacity of synaptic connections to change their strength or effectiveness over time. It describes how repeated activity reshapes the efficacy of individual synapses.
Neuromuscular junction: A specialized chemical synapse between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber. It is a well-studied synapse whose target is a muscle cell rather than another neuron.
Electrical synapse: A synapse where gap junctions let ions pass directly between cells. Direct coupling offers a faster alternative to chemical transmission.
Voltage-gated calcium channel: A membrane protein that opens in response to depolarization and allows calcium ions to enter a cell. Calcium entry couples presynaptic electrical activity to vesicle fusion.
Long-term potentiation: A persistent increase in synaptic strength following particular patterns of activity. This enduring strengthening is a leading cellular model for aspects of learning and memory.
Neuron: An excitable cell specialized to receive, process, and transmit information through electrical and chemical signals. A synapse is one of the connections through which neurons communicate.
Neurotransmitter: A chemical messenger released by neurons that binds receptors on target cells. Chemical synapses use these messengers to carry signals across the synaptic cleft.
Ionotropic receptor: A receptor that directly opens an ion channel when a ligand binds. These receptors produce fast postsynaptic responses to neurotransmitters.

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