how do 2 neurons can communicate with each other to send messages
Two neurons communicate with each other through a structure called a synapse. A synapse acts as a small gap between two neurons where information is transmitted from one neuron to another. The process involves a combination of electrical and chemical signaling.
Here's how the communication between neurons takes place:
1. Electrical Signaling: Neurons generate electrical impulses called action potentials. When an action potential reaches the end of an axon (the elongated part of a neuron), it triggers the opening of voltage-gated calcium channels.
2. Release of Neurotransmitters: The influx of calcium ions causes synaptic vesicles filled with chemical messengers called neurotransmitters to fuse with the neuron's membrane. Neurotransmitters are stored in these vesicles and are released into the synapse.
3. Chemical Signaling: The neurotransmitters cross the synapse and bind to specific receptors on the membrane of the target neuron. The binding of neurotransmitters to their receptors initiates a chemical signal in the target neuron.
4. Transmission of the Signal: This chemical signal leads to changes in the electrical properties of the target neuron, either excitatory or inhibitory. Excitatory signals make it more likely for the target neuron to generate an action potential, while inhibitory signals make it less likely.
5. Integration of Signals: The target neuron receives inputs from multiple synapses simultaneously. It integrates the excitatory and inhibitory signals from these synapses to determine whether an action potential will be generated and propagated down its own axon.
Overall, the communication between neurons involves the transmission of electrical signals down the axon of the sending neuron, the release and reception of chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) at the synapse, and the integration of these signals by the receiving neuron. This process allows for the flow of information within the nervous system, enabling various behaviors, thoughts, and bodily functions.