Biology / Unit 12 Bio 2829 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Electrical Synapse: Gap Junctions
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The idea
An electrical synapse passes current directly between neurons through gap junction channel proteins, transmitting signals virtually instantaneously and sometimes bidirectionally, unlike a chemical synapse.
In practice
Electrical synapses in the thalamus help synchronize neurons involved in fast reflexes and sleep rhythms.
Where people slip
Electrical synapses are fewer in number than chemical synapses across the nervous system as a whole, despite their speed advantage.
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