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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Synapses01:25

Overview of Synapses

A synapse is a specialized structure where two neurons connect, allowing them to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron. It is the point of communication between neurons. The term "synapse" is derived from the Greek word "synapsis," which means "conjunction." The entire process of neural communication revolves around the synapse. When activated, a neuron releases chemicals known as neurotransmitters into the synapse. These neurotransmitters cross the synapse and bind to...
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.
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.
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
09:33

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins

Published on: June 26, 2018

The origin and evolution of synapses.

Tomás J Ryan1, Seth G N Grant

  • 1Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB101SA, UK.

Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|September 10, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered an ancient molecular machinery, the protosynapse, in single-celled organisms. This finding predates neurons and challenges current understanding of brain evolution and the origins of behavior.

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Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number
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Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number

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Presynapse Formation Assay Using Presynapse Organizer Beads and “Neuron Ball” Culture
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Presynapse Formation Assay Using Presynapse Organizer Beads and “Neuron Ball” Culture

Published on: August 2, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
09:33

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins

Published on: June 26, 2018

Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number
18:11

Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number

Published on: November 16, 2010

Presynapse Formation Assay Using Presynapse Organizer Beads and “Neuron Ball” Culture
10:17

Presynapse Formation Assay Using Presynapse Organizer Beads and “Neuron Ball” Culture

Published on: August 2, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Understanding the evolutionary origins of behavior is crucial for biology and may offer insights into human disorders.
  • Synaptic transmission, fundamental to behavior, is present across diverse species, from invertebrates to vertebrates.
  • Mammalian postsynaptic machinery is highly complex, hinting at deeper evolutionary roots.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary origins of synaptic transmission and its link to behavior.
  • To challenge existing models of brain evolution by exploring ancestral molecular machinery.
  • To provide a new framework for studying synapse diversity and complexity.

Main Methods:

  • Proteomic analysis of molecular components in mammalian postsynaptic machinery.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of synapse-related molecular components.
  • Comparative biology studies across different organisms.

Main Results:

  • Identification of an ancestral molecular machinery, termed the 'protosynapse', in unicellular organisms.
  • Evidence suggests the protosynapse existed before the evolution of multicellular animals (metazoans) and neurons.
  • This ancestral machinery predates the origins of the brain as currently understood.

Conclusions:

  • The protosynapse represents a potential precursor to neuronal synapses, predating the evolution of nervous systems.
  • This discovery necessitates a re-evaluation of the evolutionary timeline and origins of the brain.
  • Synapse phylogeny offers a novel model for exploring the diversity and complexity of synapses and their role in brain evolution.