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Related Concept Videos

The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

132.8K
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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Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

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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.
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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Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

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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.
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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Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

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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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Overview of Synapses01:25

Overview of Synapses

4.9K
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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Physiological Barriers01:25

Physiological Barriers

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Physiological barriers are semi-permeable cellular structures restricting drug diffusion into intracellular compartments and tissues. There are six types of physiological barriers: blood endothelial, cell membrane, blood-brain, blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood-placenta, and blood-testis barriers.
The blood endothelial barrier is the most porous of these. It allows all small ionized, un-ionized, and lipophilic molecules to pass through the endothelial lining into the interstitial space...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

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

Published on: November 16, 2010

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Physiological Implications of Microglia-Synapse Interactions.

Hiroaki Wake1,2,3, Hiroshi Horiuchi4,5, Daisuke Kato1,4

  • 1Division of System Neuroscience, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|August 9, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Microglia, the brain's immune cells, are highly motile in the healthy brain, constantly extending processes. New imaging techniques reveal their crucial roles in the physiological brain, including synapse interactions.

Keywords:
Developmental disordersEnergy homeostasisMicrogliaMicroglia–synapse interactionSleep–wakeSynapse eliminationSynapse formationSynaptic homeostasisTwo-photon microscope

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Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number
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Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse
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Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Microglia are the primary immune cells of the central nervous system.
  • Their roles in neurodegenerative and infectious diseases are well-studied, involving cytokine release and neuroprotection/neurotoxicity.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding microglia functions in the healthy brain due to technical challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize microglia in the physiological brain.
  • To investigate the functions of microglia in the absence of injury.
  • To focus on microglia-synapse interactions in the healthy brain.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced molecular probes.
  • Employed in vivo optical imaging techniques.
  • Specifically used in vivo two-photon imaging of fluorescently labeled microglia.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that microglia are highly motile cells in the healthy brain.
  • Observed microglia extending and retracting processes from a stationary cell body.
  • Provided insights into the dynamic behavior of microglia in the physiological state.

Conclusions:

  • Recent imaging advancements allow for better characterization of microglia in healthy brains.
  • Microglia exhibit significant motility and process extension/retraction in the uninjured brain.
  • Further research into physiological microglia functions, particularly synapse interactions, is warranted.