How Do Neurons Talk to Each Other?
- Hana Elgaweesh
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Edmonton, AB
Have you ever wondered how your brain sends messages so quickly? For example, your brain might tell your hand to move away from a hot surface before you even feel the pain or help you remember your friend’s birthday. It’s all thanks to neurons. These tiny cells act like messengers, and they have their own special way of “talking” to each other.
Neurons don’t actually touch; there is a tiny gap between them called a synapse. When one neuron wants to pass on a message, it sends it down a long tail called the axon until it reaches the axon terminal (the end of the neuron), right before the gap. Messages are in the form of electrical impulses, which is also called the action potential.
The electrical signal arriving at the end of the neuron causes calcium to rush into the cell. This might sound random, but calcium plays a significant role in sending messages. It tells little sacs called synapse vesicles (which are holding special chemicals called neurotransmitters) to move toward the edge of the neuron and fuse with its membrane, releasing the neurotransmitters into the synapse.
Once released, the neurotransmitters float across the synapse and bind to receptors on the next neuron (also called the postsynaptic neuron), kind of like fitting a key into a lock. If the signal is strong enough and if the neurotransmitter is an excitatory one, the message continues through the next neuron.
Excitatory neurotransmitters, such as adrenaline and acetylcholine, help the next neuron to fire by triggering its activation. Inhibitory neurotransmitters, on the other hand, do the opposite. They block messages and prevent the neuron from passing it on.
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