Synapse

Synapses are specialized junctions through which cells of the nervous system signal to one another and to non-neuronal cells such as muscles or glands. A synapse between a motor neuron and a muscle cell is called a neuromuscular junction.

Related Topics:
Nervous system - Muscle - Gland - Neuromuscular junction

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Synapses allow the neurons of the central nervous system to form interconnected neural circuits. They are thus crucial to the biological computations that underlie perception and thought. They also provide the means through which the nervous system connects to and controls the other systems of the body.

Related Topics:
Neuron - Central nervous system

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The word "synapse" comes from "synaptein" which Sir Charles Scott Sherrington and his colleagues coined from the Greek "syn-" meaning "together" and "haptein" meaning "to clasp".

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