Chemical synapses are specialised junctions through which cells of the nervous system signal to one another and to non-neuronal cells such as muscles or glands. A chemical synapse between a motor neuron and a muscle cell is called a neuromuscular junction. Chemical synapses allow the neurons of the central nervous system to form interconnected neural circuits. They are thus crucial to the biological computations that underlie perception and thought. They also provide the means through which the nervous system connects to and controls the other systems of the body. The human brain contains a huge number of chemical synapses, with young children having about 1016 synapses (10,000 trillion[1].). This number declines with age, stabilising by adulthood. Estimates for an adult vary from 1015 to 5 × 1015 synapses (1,000 to 5,000 trillion).

Histopbysiology of Synapses and Neurosecretion discusses the relationship between subcellular structure and function in synapses. The title discusses how neurosecretion phenomenon takes place in the important areas of central and peripheral nervous system. The first part of text deals with the synapse. Topics such as the concept of synaptic transmission, morphology of synaptic region, and ultrastructure of synaptic region are covered in the first part. Part I also discusses the MORPHO-physiological correlations in certain synapses; and neurochemical studies in isolated nerve endings and synaptic vesicles of the CNS. The second part of the selection covers neorosecretion. Part II tackles the neurohumoral mechanisms and secretion in the hypothalamicneurohypophysial system; secretory processes; and secretion in adrenergic nerves and endings. The book will be of great use to student, researchers, and practitioners of neurology.

The molecular mechanisms, which are responsible for the functional differences between the various types of neuronal synapses, have become one of the central themes of modern neurobiology. It is becoming increasingly clear that a misregulation of synaptogenesis and synaptic remodeling and dysfunctional neuronal synapses are at the heart of several human diseases, both neurological disorders and psychiatric conditions. As synapses present specialized cellular junctions between neurons and their target cells, it may not come as a surprise that neural cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are of special importance for the genesis and the maintenance of synaptic connections. Genes encoding adhesive molecules make up a significant portion of the human genome, and neural CAMs even have been postulated to be a major factor in the evolution of the human brain. These are just some of the many reasons why we thought a book on neural CAMs and their role in establishing and maintaining neuronal synapses would be highly appropriate for summarizing our current state of knowledge. Without question, over the near future, additional adhesive proteins will join the ranks of synaptic CAMs and our knowledge, and how these molecules enable neurons and their targets to communicate effectively will grow.

Synapse, Neuron, Brain, the third and last volume in the series Medical Physics, focuses on neurons and their interactions. Comprised of seven chapters regarding the brain's synapses and nerves, this volume concludes through the presentation of medical physics and its applications. An introductory chapter of this volume provides the necessary basic concepts and theories needed in the understanding of the book. This is followed by a discussion on the brain and its interconnections with the spinal cord. Chapter 3 focuses on the importance of evoked potentials as a diagnostic tool for the sensory organ and the neural processing of the stimuli. Chemical and electrical properties of synapses are also given emphasis. Other topics covered in this volume include the rall theory and neuronal integration; membrane noise at synaptic junctions; and new techniques on brain studies (autoradiography, positron annihilation, and nuclear magnetic resonance). As with the other volumes, this also caters to persons in various disciplines such as medicine, physiology, physics, and biology.

Any brain activity relies on the interaction of thousands of neurons, each of which integrating signals from thousands of synapses. While neurons are undoubtedly the building blocks of the brain, synapses constitute the main loci of information transfer that lead to the emergence of neuronal code. Investigating synaptic transmission constitutes a multi-faceted challenge that brings together a large number of techniques and expertise ranging from experimental to computational approaches, bringing together paradigms spanning from molecular to neural network level. In this book, we have collected a series of articles that present foundational work aimed at shedding much-needed light on brain information processing, synaptic transmission and neural code formation. Some articles present analyses of regulatory mechanisms underlying neural code formation and its elaboration at the molecular level, while others use computational and modelling approaches to investigate, at synaptic, neuronal and inter-neuronal level, how the different mechanisms involved in information processing interact to generate effects like long-term potentiation (LTP), which constitutes the cellular basis of learning and memory. This collection, although not exhaustive, aims to present a framework of the most used investigational paradigms and showcase results that may, in turn, generate novel hypotheses and ideas for further studies and investigations.

The brain is omnipresent in bodily functions. Its vast array of responsibilities includes the regulation of all physical movements, memory, learning and emotions, as well as the reception and interpretation of all sensory inputs. These numerous responsibilities require the facility of a very complex organ, and the brain is complex, to say the least. The brain's complexity provides a constant challenge for scientists to explore new theories. Because of the brain's wide-ranging role in bodily functions these studies have an impact on many other realms of science, such as psychology, neurology, and genetics. This book features recent studies from this important field of scientific research.