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Related Concept Videos

Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability 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: May 25, 2026

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

Intra-synapse-type and inter-synapse-type relationships between synaptic size and AMPAR expression.

Yugo Fukazawa1, Ryuichi Shigemoto

  • 1Division of Cerebral Structure, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Higashiyama 5-1, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|February 14, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Synapse size and AMPAR number correlate within CNS synapses, but not across different synapse types. Some synapses adjust plasticity via AMPAR number, others via synapse size.

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Last Updated: May 25, 2026

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

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

Combined Optogenetic and Freeze-fracture Replica Immunolabeling to Examine Input-specific Arrangement of Glutamate Receptors in the Mouse Amygdala
09:49

Combined Optogenetic and Freeze-fracture Replica Immunolabeling to Examine Input-specific Arrangement of Glutamate Receptors in the Mouse Amygdala

Published on: April 15, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Understanding the structure-function relationship of excitatory synapses is crucial for neuroscience.
  • Quantifying synaptic proteins like AMPARs provides insights into synaptic transmission and plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between synapse size and AMPAR number in different central nervous system (CNS) connections.
  • To explore how synapse size and AMPAR density influence synaptic plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative analysis of synaptic AMPARs using highly sensitive freeze-fracture replica labeling.
  • Examination of eight different CNS synaptic connections.

Main Results:

  • A linear correlation was observed between synapse size and AMPAR number within individual synapse types.
  • No correlation was found between average synapse size and average AMPAR number across different synapse types.
  • Synapses with large size and low AMPAR density exhibited high AMPAR number variability and mosaic distribution.

Conclusions:

  • CNS synapses share common intra-synapse-type relationships regarding synapse size and AMPAR number.
  • Inter-synapse-type relationships are diverse, suggesting different plasticity mechanisms.
  • Synapses may employ distinct strategies for plasticity: modifying AMPAR density/number or altering synapse size.