synapse

¹syn·apse

noun \ˈsi-ˌnaps, sə-ˈnaps\

Definition of SYNAPSE

: the point at which a nervous impulse passes from one neuron to another

Origin of SYNAPSE

New Latin synapsis, from Greek, juncture, from synaptein to fasten together, from syn- + haptein to fasten

First Known Use: 1899

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

Rhymes with SYNAPSE

collapse, elapse, perhaps, prolapse, relapse, time-lapse

²synapse

intransitive verb

syn·apsedsyn·aps·ing

Definition of SYNAPSE

1

: to form a synapse

2

: to come together in synapsis

First Known Use of SYNAPSE

1910

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

synapse

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Site of transmission of electric nerve impulses between two nerve cells or between a nerve cell and a gland or muscle cell. At chemical synapses, impulses are transmitted across microscopic spaces via chemical substances called neurotransmitters. In electric synapses, direct communication between nerve cells whose membranes are fused is possible because ions flow between the cells through channels. Electric synapses are found mainly in invertebrates and lower vertebrates; they transmit messages faster than chemical synapses. Chemical transmission seems to have evolved in large, complex vertebrate nervous systems, in which multiple messages must be transmitted over long distances.