Synapse

noun; also verb (intransitive, in cytology/genetics)

/ˈsɪnæps/

The junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which electrical impulses are transmitted by chemical neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and dopamine.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Effective governance in a federal polity depends less on the strength of individual institutions than on the synapses between them - the channels through which the Centre, the States and local bodies transmit information and coordinate action.

Synonyms

junctionconnectionnexusinterfacelinkjuncture

Antonyms

gapdisconnectionseverancegulf

🌱 Word Family

synapse (v), synapses (n pl), synaptic (adj), synaptically (adv), synapsing (v pres.p)

🔡 Root

Greek sun- = together; haptein = to clasp, fasten; sunapsis = conjunction

📜 Etymology

From Greek sunapsis ("conjunction"), from sun- ("together") + haptein ("to clasp, fasten"); introduced into neuroscience by Charles Sherrington in 1897.

🧠 Memory Hook

"Syn-" (together) + "-apse" sounds like a clasp - the synapse is where two nerve cells are clasped together to pass a signal across the gap.

⚗️ General Science 📖 Seen in: Human Body Systems — Organ Systems, Ph...

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