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Glite Dictionary
neuromuscular junction

neuromuscular junction

5.7
A place where a nerve sends a signal to a muscle to make it move
  • noun
  • /ˌnjʊroʊˈmʌskjələr ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : unión neuromuscular
  • When a nerve impulse reaches the neuromuscular junction, it triggers muscle contraction.

Examples

  • The neuromuscular junction is crucial for transmitting signals from nerves to muscle fibers.

  • So this is affecting sending a signal into your neuromuscular junction in any different muscle group.

  • These factors include an intact neuromuscular junction enabling electrical impulses to travel to the motor end plate and to traverse the neuromuscular region where acetylcholine acts as a neurochemical on the muscle membrane.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Damage to the neuromuscular junction can lead to weakness and muscle fatigue.

Synonyms

synapse
vsneuromuscular junction
  • Specialized
24 6.1

A small gap where one nerve cell sends signals to another or to a muscle

is the specific nerve to muscle connection rather than any nerve to nerve junction
myoneural junction
vsneuromuscular junction
  • Specialized
9.9

A place where a nerve meets a muscle and makes it tighten

is the broader term for the same nerve to muscle contact
motor end plate
vsneuromuscular junction
  • Specialized
7.5

The place where a nerve connects to a muscle to make it move

is the whole synaptic area rather than only the neuronal end region

Surface Forms

neuromuscular junction singular
neuromuscular junctions plural

Morphology

neuromuscular + junction

The meaning 'the site where a nerve connects with a muscle' is directly and transparently composed from 'neuromuscular' (pertaining to nerves and muscles) plus 'junction' (a meeting/connection point), so a learner who knows those constituents can infer the MWE meaning. Although technical, the compound follows regular English composition and has clear equivalents in other languages, supporting immediate understandability from its parts.

Etymology

The noun neuromuscular junction is a name for the tiny spot where a nerve meets a muscle. There the nerve sends a signal that makes the muscle move, so the term means 'the place where a nerve sends a signal to make a muscle move'.