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How do neurons communicate with each other?

Psychology and BrainNeuroscience

Quick Answer

Neurons pass signals using electrical impulses and chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. At a synapse, one neuron releases neurotransmitters that bind to receptors on the next cell.

The Full Story

A neuron receives input from other cells through its dendrites, integrates that input, and may fire an action potential down its axon. When the signal reaches the axon terminal, it triggers the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic gap. Those chemicals bind to receptors on the next neuron, muscle, or gland cell and either excite or inhibit it. This process happens in milliseconds and is the basic way the nervous system moves information around the body.

Key Facts

1.Action potentials last only a few milliseconds
2.The synapse is the tiny gap between cells
3.Neurotransmitters include dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine

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