Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

8.3K
The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...
8.3K
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

26.4K
The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight...
26.4K
Overview of Synapses01:25

Overview of Synapses

3.1K
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...
3.1K
Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

9.0K
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...
9.0K
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

3.3K
A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....
3.3K
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

45.2K
Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
45.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Olfactory system structure and function in newly hatched and adult locusts.

Scientific reports·2024
Same author

Innate attraction and aversion to odors in locusts.

PloS one·2023
Same author

Identification and analysis of odorant receptors expressed in the two main olfactory organs, antennae and palps, of Schistocerca americana.

Scientific reports·2022
Same author

Feedback inhibition and its control in an insect olfactory circuit.

eLife·2020
Same author

Optimality of sparse olfactory representations is not affected by network plasticity.

PLoS computational biology·2020
Same author

Decision Making: How Fruit Flies Integrate Olfactory Evidence.

Current biology : CB·2018
Same journal

Pitch selectivity in ferret auditory cortex.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

A cell size-dependent competition between geometry and polarity governs nuclear and spindle positioning in early embryos.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Trophic cascades drive sustainability in the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Tracking Satb2-positive retinal ganglion cells in zebrafish unveils developmental functional reorganization.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

RhoGAP54D promotes cell size asymmetry and inhibits pulsatile myosin activity in Drosophila neural stem cells.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Increased rates of hybridization in swordtails are associated with water pollution.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes
09:04

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes

Published on: January 21, 2022

2.3K

Insect neuroscience: Filling the knowledge gap on gap junctions.

Zane N Aldworth1, Mark Stopfer1

  • 1National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Building 35A, Room 3E-623, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|May 10, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Gap junctions, though tiny, significantly influence neural activity. New research shows these junctions can stabilize neuronal membrane potential, preventing erratic electrical signaling.

More Related Videos

Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises
13:56

Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises

Published on: January 18, 2011

22.9K
Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis
09:59

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis

Published on: February 26, 2017

11.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes
09:04

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes

Published on: January 21, 2022

2.3K
Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises
13:56

Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises

Published on: January 18, 2011

22.9K
Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis
09:59

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis

Published on: February 26, 2017

11.4K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular Biology
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Gap junctions are crucial for neuronal communication and network function.
  • Their role in stabilizing neuronal membrane potential has been underestimated.
  • Connectome mapping often overlooks the contribution of gap junctions due to their small size.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the previously unrecognized function of gap junctions in stabilizing neuronal membrane potential.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which gap junctions prevent aberrant neuronal firing.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced electrophysiological recordings in neural networks.
  • Employed computational modeling to simulate gap junction dynamics.
  • Analyzed the impact of gap junction blockade on neuronal oscillations.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that gap junctions actively stabilize neuronal membrane potential.
  • Observed a significant increase in membrane potential oscillations upon gap junction inhibition.
  • Identified specific biophysical properties of gap junctions contributing to this stabilization.

Conclusions:

  • Gap junctions possess a critical function in maintaining neuronal homeostasis.
  • This stabilization role is vital for preventing network hyperexcitability and ensuring reliable neural signaling.
  • Future research should incorporate gap junction dynamics in network models for greater accuracy.