The junction between two nerve cells of an
animal, or between a nerve cell and a muscle.
The two cells involved are not in direct
contact but separated by a narrow gap called
the synaptic cleft. Across this gap flow
chemical neurotransmitters, which have a
specific effect on the receiving cell when
they bind to special receptors on its
surface. The response may be a nervous
impulse in a nerve cell or a contraction in a
muscle cell.