| Term: | cerebellum synapse |
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| Note: | This page represents a term created by the combination ("post-composition") of two ontology terms. For more information on the individual terms, click the hyperlinked name. |
| Name: | cerebellum |
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| Synonyms: | |
| Definition: | Brain structure derived from the anterior hindbrain, and perhaps including posterior midbrain. The cerebellum plays a role in somatic motor function, the control of muscle tone, and balance. In zebrafish, with the exception of the cerebellum, the ventral remainder of the metencephalon can be separated only arbitrarily from the more caudal myelencephalic portion of the medulla oblongata and thus these are not distinguished here. |
| Ontology: | Anatomy Ontology [ZFA:0000100] |
| Name: | synapse |
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| Synonyms: | electrotonic synapse, mixed synapse, synaptic junction |
| Definition: | The junction between an axon of one neuron and a dendrite of another neuron, a muscle fiber or a glial cell. As the axon approaches the synapse it enlarges into a specialized structure, the presynaptic terminal bouton, which contains mitochondria and synaptic vesicles. At the tip of the terminal bouton is the presynaptic membrane; facing it, and separated from it by a minute cleft (the synaptic cleft) is a specialized area of membrane on the receiving cell, known as the postsynaptic membrane. In response to the arrival of nerve impulses, the presynaptic terminal bouton secretes molecules of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. These diffuse across the cleft and transmit the signal to the postsynaptic membrane. |
| Ontology: | GO: Cellular Component [GO:0045202] QuickGO AmiGO |