What is the function of synapses?

Synapses are the 'gaps' between neurones in the nervous system, and they allow neurones which are not physically connected to communicate. Neurones send electrical signals to each other, but due to the synaptic gap, this signal cannot pass from one neurone to the next. Here, the electrical signal is converted to a chemical signal through the release of neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters pass across the synapse, and then activate the electrical signal in the post-synaptic neurone.