Library / English Dictionary

SYNAPSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The junction between two neurons (axon-to-dendrite) or between a neuron and a muscle

Example:

nerve impulses cross a synapse through the action of neurotransmitters

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("synapse" is a kind of...):

colligation; conjugation; conjunction; junction (the state of being joined together)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "synapse"):

myoneural junction; neuromuscular junction (the junction between a nerve fiber and the muscle it supplies)

Holonyms ("synapse" is a part of...):

nerve; nervus (any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body)

Derivation:

synaptic ((neuroscience) of or involving synapses)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Present simple (first person singular and plural, second person singular and plural, third person plural) of the verb synapse

Credits

 Context examples: 

This allele, which encodes T-cell surface glycoprotein CD3 epsilon chain protein, is involved in signal transduction essential for T cell receptor signaling and synapse formation.

(CD3E wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Plic-1 is a ubiquitin-like protein that binds to GABA-A receptors and causes them to accumulate at inhibitory synapses.

(GABA Receptor Life Cycle Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

A synapse in which the firing of the presynaptic cell increases the probability of firing of the postsynaptic cell.

(Excitatory Synapse, NCI Thesaurus)

One involves the structure of synapses, the connections between nerve cells across which brain signals travel.

(Gene Disruptions Associated with Autism Risk, NIH)

Neurotransmitters are signaling molecules used by neurons to communicate across chemical synapses.

(Neurotransmitter Biosynthesis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

This gene may play a role in synapse development.

(NLGN4X Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes neuroligin 4, X-linked protein, may be involved in the mediation of synapse function.

(NLGN4X wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein may play a role in synapse formation.

(Neuroligin 4, X-Linked, NCI Thesaurus)

Included are neuromodulators, neuroregulators, neuromediators, and neurohumors, whether or not acting at synapses.

(Neurotransmitter, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein is involved in cell-cell interactions, cellular adhesion, signal transduction and synapse formation.

(Neurexin-1-Alpha, NCI Thesaurus)