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A structure lying external to one or more cells, which provides structural support for cells or tissues; may be completely external to the cell (as in animals) or be part of the cell (as in plants). Any constituent part of a synapse, the junction between a nerve fiber of one neuron and another neuron or muscle fiber or glial cell. The junction between a nerve fiber of one neuron and another neuron or muscle fiber or glial cell; the site of interneuronal communication. As the nerve fiber approaches the synapse it enlarges into a specialized structure, the presynaptic nerve ending, which contains mitochondria and synaptic vesicles. At the tip of the nerve ending 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 nerve ending secretes molecules of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. These diffuse across the cleft and transmit the signal to the postsynaptic membrane. The narrow gap that separates the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes, into which neurotransmitter is released. The part of a cell or its extracellular environment in which a gene product is located. A gene product may be located in one or more parts of a cell and its location may be as specific as a particular macromolecular complex, that is, a stable, persistent association of macromolecules that function together. Any constituent part of the extracellular matrix, the structure lying external to one or more cells, which provides structural support for cells or tissues; may be completely external to the cell (as in animals) or be part of the cell (as often seen in plants). Any constituent part of the extracellular region, the space external to the outermost structure of a cell. For cells without external protective or external encapsulating structures this refers to space outside of the plasma membrane. This term covers constituent parts of the host cell environment outside an intracellular parasite.

View Gene Ontology (GO) Term

GO TERM SUMMARY
Name: synaptic cleft
Acc: GO:0043083
Aspect: Cellular Component
Desc: The narrow gap that separates the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes, into which neurotransmitter is released.
Proteins in PDR annotated with:
   This term: 12 [Search]
   Term or descendants: 12 [Search]


[geneontology.org]
INTERACTIVE GO GRAPH

GO:0043083 - synaptic cleft (interactive image map)
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Created and Maintained by: Michael Riffle