excitatory synapses
Watching Neuron Attachments in Real Time
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
Caption: A living cortical neuron in a culture dish. Red and green dots reveal synapses—potential communication junctions between neurons.
Credit: Don Arnold, University of Southern California
This glittering web is actually a live nerve cell, or neuron, in which its branches are labeled with glowing probes. Each dot reveals a potential junction between neurons—called a synapse—where chemicals are released allowing the cells to talk to each other. The red dots reveal inhibitory synapses—which silence electrical signals—whereas the green dots show the excitatory synapses that promote electrical signals.
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