Synapse
The junction between two nerve cells where signals are transmitted from one neuron to another. Synapses can be chemical (using neurotransmitters) or electrical (direct ion flow).
Used in the Books
This term appears in 3 chapters:
"...tion reaches all neurons in ~3-4 hops (fast communication) without requiring dense global connectivity (which would be metabolically expensive - each synapse costs energy to maintain and fire). Small-world topology achieves near-optimal trade-off between wiring cost (number of connections) and communicatio..."
"The brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons, each connected to thousands of others through synapses. Individual neurons fire action potentials in response to inputs from their neighbors, and the patterns of coordinated firing across populations of n..."
"...ral plasticity and redundant motor pathways enabling recovery after stroke. Buonomano, D.V., & Merzenich, M.M. (1998). Cortical plasticity: From synapses to maps. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 21, 149-186. - Foundational review of distributed neural representations and graceful degradation. Avi..."
Biological Context
A single neuron may have thousands of synapses. Signal strength at synapses can be strengthened or weakened based on use—the basis of learning and memory. The human brain contains roughly 100 trillion synapses.
Business Application
Organizational synapses are the connection points between teams, departments, or companies where information is transmitted. Strong synapses (good communication channels) enable coordination; weak synapses create silos.