[The identification of synapses in the cerebral cortex]

The correlation between structure and function of synapses is discussed. Identification of 4 types of synapses has been made based on the authors' own evidence provided for the rat sensomotor cortex with the light and electron microscopy: 1--asymmetrical (excitatory, glutamate- or aspartatergic); 2--symmetrical (inhibitory, GABAergic); 3--symmetrical (disinhibitory, GABAergic); 4--symmetrical or asymmetrical (modulatory, monoaminergic). The ultrastructure of some synaptic categories may be equalized with their function. It makes possible to identify not only excitatory and inhibitory synapses, as considered before, but also disinhibitory and modulatory ones.