Chemical synapse

Definition

A chemical synapse is a junction between two neurons where information is transmitted from one neuron to another using chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. This process converts electrical signals in the transmitting neuron into a chemical signal that crosses the synaptic gap to trigger an electrical signal in the receiving neuron.

Related terms

Neurotransmitter:

A chemical substance released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a nerve impulse, which, by diffusing across the synapse, causes the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fiber, muscle fiber, or some other structure.

Presynaptic Neuron:

The neuron that sends a message across the synaptic gap by releasing neurotransmitters from its axonal end.

Postsynaptic Neuron:

The neuron that receives the message on the other side of a synapse by detecting neurotransmitters through its specialized receptors