synapse

Examples of synapse in the following topics:

• Mechanics of the Action Potential

  • The synapse is the junction where neurons trade information.
  • The stages of an electrical reaction at a synapse are as follows:
  • Chemical synapses are much more complex than electrical synapses, which makes them slower, but also allows them to generate different results.
  • Electrical synapses are faster than chemical synapses because the receptors do not need to recognize chemical messengers.
  • Long-term changes can be seen in electrical synapses.

• Neuroplasticity

  • Learning takes place when there is either a change in the internal structure of neurons or a heightened number of synapses between neurons.
  • At birth, there are approximately 2,500 synapses in the cerebral cortex of a human baby.
  • By three years old, the cerebral cortex has about 15,000 synapses.
  • Apoptosis occurs during early childhood and adolescence, after which there is a decrease in the number of synapses.
  • The selection of the pruned neurons follows the "use it or lose it" principle, meaning that synapses that are frequently used have strong connections, while the rarely used synapses are eliminated.

• Neurotransmitters

  • Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron across a synapse to a target cell.
  • Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse.
  • There are several systems of neurotransmitters found at various synapses in the nervous system.
  • Amino acid neurotransmitters are eliminated from the synapse by reuptake.
  • Neuropeptides are often released at synapses in combination with another neurotransmitter.

• Cognitive Development in Childhood

  • Once nerve cells in the brain are in place, they form synapses.
  • These synapses release neurotransmitters, which are chemical signals that help the brain communicate.
  • Synapses evolve rapidly, and in doing so, some synapses will die off to make room for new or more important ones.
  • This process improves message transfer between synapses and assists in brain development.
  • Synapses, or the spaces between nerve cells, develop rapidly during childhood.

• Habituation, Sensitization, and Potentiation

  • One way that the nervous system changes is through potentiation, or the strengthening of the nerve synapses (the gaps between neurons).
  • In neural communication, a neurotransmitter is released from the axon of one neuron, crosses a synapse, and is then picked up by the dendrites of an adjacent neuron.
  • During habituation, fewer neurotransmitters are released at the synapse.
  • This image shows the way two neurons communicate by the release of the neurotransmitter from the axon, across the synapse, and into the dendrite of another neuron.
  • Communication between neurons occurs when the neurotransmitter is released from the axon on one neuron, travels across the synapse, and is taken in by the dendrite on an adjacent neuron.

• Introducing the Neuron

  • The synapse is the chemical junction between the axon terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of the next.
  • One neuron's axon will connect chemically to another neuron's dendrite at the synapse between them.
  • Electrically charged chemicals flow from the first neuron's axon to the second neuron's dendrite, and that signal will then flow from the second neuron's dendrite, down its axon, across a synapse,  into a third neuron's dendrites, and so on.
  • Dendrites, cell bodies, axons, and synapses are the basic parts of a neuron, but other important structures and materials surround neurons to make them more efficient.
  • The interface between a motor neuron and muscle fiber is a specialized synapse called the neuromuscular junction.

• Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning

  • However, since these pathways are being activated at the same time as the other neural pathways, there are weak synapse reactions that occur between the auditory stimuli and the behavioral response.
  • Over time, these synapses are strengthened so that it only takes the sound of a buzzer to activate the pathway leading to salivation.

• Other Steps

  • An electrical impulse crosses a synapse between neurons in the brain, releasing a neurotransmitter.
  • Dendrites, which are extensions of neurons, receive the impulse and allow the synapse to increase in strength; this is known as long-term potentiation.

• Neural Networks

  • The basic kinds of connections between neurons are chemical synapses and electrical gap junctions, through which either chemical or electrical impulses are communicated between neurons.
  • The method through which neurons interact with neighboring neurons usually consists of several axon terminals connecting through synapses to the dendrites on other neurons.
  • Neurons interact with other neurons by sending a signal, or impulse, along their axon and across a synapse to the dendrites of a neighboring neuron.

• Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning: Pavlov

  • However, because these pathways are being activated at the same time as the other neural pathways, there are weak synapse reactions that occur between the auditory stimulus and the behavioral response.
  • Over time, these synapses are strengthened so that it only takes the sound of a buzzer (or a bell) to activate the pathway leading to salivation.