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Related Concept Videos

The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
Neural Circuits01:25

Neural Circuits

Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Neuroplasticity01:01

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

Neuron network activity scales exponentially with synapse density.

G J Brewer1, M D Boehler, R A Pearson

  • 1Department of Neurology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794-9626, USA. gbrewer@siumed.edu

Journal of Neural Engineering
|December 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neuronal network development shows synapse density increases linearly, while spiking activity rises exponentially. This suggests increased connectivity, not neuron numbers, drives brain information processing gains.

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Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
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Published on: October 6, 2017

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
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Published on: June 24, 2015

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology
10:52

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology

Published on: April 23, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience

Background:

  • Synaptic scaling adjusts excitatory and inhibitory inputs to maintain network output stability.
  • The relationship between synapse density and neuronal network output during development is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between synapse density and spontaneous spiking activity in developing cortical neuronal networks.
  • To compare network development in media optimized for neuron survival versus spike rate.

Main Methods:

  • Cultured rat hippocampal neurons for three weeks.
  • Monitored synapse formation (synaptophysin) and spiking activity.
  • Quantified synaptic receptor components (NR1, GluR1, GABA-A).
  • Utilized two serum-free media: Neurobasal/B27 and NbActiv4.

Main Results:

  • Synaptophysin-positive synapse density increased linearly with culture duration.
  • Spontaneous spiking activity exhibited exponential growth over time.
  • Levels of synaptic receptor components NR1, GluR1, and GABA-A increased linearly.
  • Excitatory receptor components outnumbered inhibitory ones.

Conclusions:

  • Neuronal network output (spiking rate) grows exponentially with development, outpacing linear increases in synapse density.
  • Brain information processing capacity may benefit more from enhanced connectivity than from an increased number of processing units.
  • Findings offer insights into neural network development and information processing principles, analogous to internet data flow dynamics.