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Related Concept Videos

The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

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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.
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Electrochemistry: Overview01:04

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Electrochemistry is the branch of chemistry that studies the relationship between electrical quantities and chemical reactions, particularly oxidation and reduction. Oxidation is the loss of electrons from a substance, whereas reduction refers to the gain of electrons. A substance with a strong electron affinity is called an oxidizing agent (oxidant), and a reducing agent (reductant) is a species that donates electrons. Oxidation and reduction processes are pivotal to electrochemical reactions,...
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Electrical Synapses01:28

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Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
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Chemical Synapses01:26

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Chemical Synapses01:26

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Overview of Synapses01:25

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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...
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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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Electrochemistry at the Synapse.

Mimi Shin, Ying Wang, Jason R Borgus1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901, USA;

Annual Review of Analytical Chemistry (Palo Alto, Calif.)
|February 2, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electrochemical measurements are advancing from monitoring neurotransmitters outside cells to within synapses. New nanoelectrode techniques enable real-time synaptic measurements, offering crucial insights into neurotransmission dynamics.

Keywords:
amperometrydopamineglutamatemicroelectrodenanoelectrodesvoltammetry

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Electrochemistry
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Electrochemical measurements offer critical insights into neurotransmitter dynamics.
  • Historically, techniques focused on extrasynaptic neurotransmitter levels.
  • Advancements are enabling measurements within the synaptic cleft.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evolution of electrochemical neurotransmitter measurements.
  • To highlight the shift from extrasynaptic to synaptic measurements.
  • To compare electrochemistry with optical and mass spectrometry techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Review of traditional methods: biosensors and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry for extrasynaptic monitoring.
  • Discussion of amperometry and electrochemical cytometry for exocytosis studies.
  • Focus on nanoelectrode advances enabling spatially resolved synaptic measurements.

Main Results:

  • Electrochemical techniques have progressed from extrasynaptic to synaptic measurements.
  • Nanoelectrodes now permit real-time, spatially resolved measurements within the narrow synaptic cleft (20-100 nm).
  • Synaptic measurements of dopamine and acetylcholine have been successfully demonstrated.

Conclusions:

  • Electrochemical methods excel at real-time neurotransmission monitoring compared to optical or mass spectrometry techniques.
  • Future directions involve integrating electrochemistry with other methods for multisite and multianalyte analysis.
  • Continued development promises deeper understanding of synaptic function and neurotransmitter dynamics.