synergy /sin″ərjē/ [Gk, syn + ergein, to work] , 1. the process in which two organs, substances, or agents work simultaneously to enhance the function and effect of one another. 2. the coordinated action of a set of muscles that work together to produce a specific movement, as in a reflex action. 3. a combined action of different parts of the autonomic nervous system, as in the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of secreting cells of the salivary glands, with both systems having a secretory effect. 4. the interaction of two or more drugs to produce a certain effect, as in the exaggerated response to tyramine in a person who is treated with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Also called synergism.
