	Site Map \| FAQ in Daily Almanac for Feb 12, 2012
Skip Navigation Home Black History Month Atlas Encyclopedia Dictionary Thesaurus Features Quizzes Timelines Countries

| Share

Dictionary

syn•apse

Pronunciation: (sin'aps, si-naps'), [key]
—n., v., -apsed, -aps•ing. Physiol.

—n.
a region where nerve impulses are transmitted and received, encompassing the axon terminal of a neuron that releases neurotransmitters in response to an impulse, an extremely small gap across which the neurotransmitters travel, and the adjacent membrane of an axon, dendrite, or muscle or gland cell with the appropriate receptor molecules for picking up the neurotransmitters.

—v.i.
Cell Biol.; Physiol.to form a synapse or a synapsis.

synaloepha

synapsis

See also:

synapse (Thesaurus)
synapse (Encyclopedia)

Dictionary

syn•apse

Related Content