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Related Concept Videos

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...
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of specific...
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 Signaling01:12

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.
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
15:57

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

Published on: May 4, 2011

Emotional modulation of the synapse.

Jayme R McReynolds1, Christa K McIntyre

  • 1Department of Behavioral and BrainSciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.

Reviews in the Neurosciences
|October 26, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Acute stress enhances long-term memory via amygdala activation. This involves modulating synaptic proteins like ARC and CaMKIIα, potentially explaining rapid memory consolidation during emotional events.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Emotional arousal and stress impact long-term memory consolidation.
  • The basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) is crucial for this modulation.
  • Synaptic mechanisms underlying amygdala's memory influence are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence on how emotional arousal, stress hormones, and amygdala stimulation affect memory and synaptic plasticity.
  • To explore potential synaptic mechanisms for rapid memory consolidation linked to emotional events.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on amygdala function in memory.
  • Analysis of research on stress hormones and emotional arousal effects.
  • Examination of synaptic plasticity mechanisms related to protein modulation.

More Related Videos

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
15:57

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

Published on: May 4, 2011

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

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

Main Results:

  • Amygdala activation, particularly via β-adrenoceptors, enhances memory consolidation.
  • Amygdala influences synaptic plasticity through modulation of key proteins like ARC and CaMKIIα.
  • These mechanisms may underlie rapid memory formation during emotional experiences.

Conclusions:

  • Amygdala plays a significant role in modulating memory consolidation through synaptic mechanisms.
  • Local protein dynamics within the amygdala are proposed as a key factor in emotionally enhanced memory.
  • The findings align with synaptic and emotional tagging hypotheses.