Once the “key” turns the “lock,” or when the neurotransmitter attaches to the receptor, the message is passed on and the neurotransmitters are recycled. In other words, the neurotransmitter is like a key and the receptor is the lock. Neurotransmitters are different from ions, because instead of directly affecting the charge of the neurons, neurotransmitters communicate by activating a receptor. Dendrites are branch-like projections that carry impulses received from neighboring neurons to the soma Neurotransmitters cross the synapse and attach to receptors on the dendrites of nearby neurons. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters. Once the neuron reaches a certain threshold of approximately -55mV, an event known as an action potential occurs and causes the neuron to “fire.” The action potential travels down the axon where it reaches the axon terminal.Īt the axon terminal, electrical signals are converted into chemical signals that travel between neurons across a small gap called the synapse. However, when a stimulus comes along (like stubbing your toe, or hearing your name being called), it causes the neuron to take in more positive ions, and the neuron becomes more positively charged. A neuron at rest has a negative charge of approximately -70 millivolts (mV) of electricity. When a neuron is at rest, the cell body, or soma, of the neuron is negatively charged relative to the outside of the neuron. Ions move in and out of the neuron across the cell membrane and affect the electrical charge of the neuron. In other words, certain chemicals in the body known as ions have an electrical charge. Neurons communicate with each other using electrochemical signals.

How do neurons work?Įach neuron is made up of three main parts: the cell body (also known as the soma), the axon, and the dendrites. Each neuron is connected to more than 1,000 other neurons, making the total number of connections in the brain around 60 trillion! Neurons are organized into patterns and networks within the brain and communicate with each other at incredible speeds. With 80-100 billion nerve cells, known as neurons, the human brain is capable of some astonishing feats.

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