Reuptake

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The physiological mechanism involved in the reabsorption of neurotransmitters into neurons following their release during synaptic transmission
2. A biological process where released neurotransmitters are captured back into the neuron for reuse after they facilitate neural communication
3. The process that involves the absorption of neurotransmitters back into the presynaptic neuron after they have been utilized in synaptic signaling

Etymology: "Reuptake" is a plain compound: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back", attached to "uptake". "Uptake" itself is a noun formed from the verb "take up", and it has long carried the sense of taking something in or absorbing it. Adding "re-" yields the idea of taking something in a second time, or taking back what was released. That second sense is what gives the word its modern use. In neuroscience, a neurotransmitter is released from one nerve cell into the gap, or synapse, toward the next, and reuptake is the process by which the releasing cell pulls the chemical back in. The word therefore describes a return journey rather than a new intake, which is precisely what "re-" signals.