synaptically

1 9.3

In the small gaps between nerve cells where signals pass

adverb
/sɪˈnæptɪkli/

Specialized

: sinápticamente

Brain maps—those synaptically interconnected networks of neurons whose pulses produce a function or a memory—have shifting borders.

Examples

The study focused on how information is processed synaptically between neurons in the brain.
During learning, the brain becomes more synaptically connected, enhancing memory retention.
Synaptic plasticity is one example of functionally significant alterations in the states of neurons, whereby changes in two synaptically coupled neurons result in a net change in the probability of signal transmission between them.

Academic text (2017)
Neurons communicate synaptically, allowing for rapid transmission of signals across the nervous system.

Surface Forms

synaptically positive

Morphology

synaptically = synaptic (transparent) = synapse + ic + ally

Formed regularly from the adjective 'synaptic' by adding a standard adverbial suffix; meaning is directly 'in a synaptic manner'.

Etymology

The word synaptically comes from synapse, built from syn- 'together' and a root that meant 'to touch' or 'join', the same syn- you see in synchronize. So synaptically means 'in the way nerve cells meet or connect', which is why it describes how signals pass at those tiny connections between nerve cells.