How Neurons Communicate

In one of my previous articles, I went over the general functions of the neurons and glia in the body. In this article, I will be diving deeper in the topic of neuroscience. First, we will go over the basic anatomy of the neuron. Then, I will explain how neurons use neurotransmitters to communicate with each other. It would be immensely helpful to reference a picture of a neuron while reading the article so you can develop a fuller understanding of how these parts work together.

Neurons are cells that create electrical signals. Neurons have a body and parts that stick out called dendrites and axons. Dendrites are at the front of the neuron, and they receive the electrical signal from other neurons and pass it on to the neuron’s body. If the electrical signal is strong enough, it will trigger the axon hillock (between the body and axon) to push out an action potential through the axon. The axon carries the action potential to the synapse, which is the area where one neuron’s axon meets another neuron’s dendrites.

Depending on the type of neuron, the axon terminal (end of axon) will release chemicals called neurotransmitters that either excite or inhibit the receiving neuron. Although there are many neurotransmitters in our body, we will only go over acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is released in the brain and between muscle cells. When the muscle cell receives an action potential, it contracts. You may have heard of Alzheimer’s disease. This disease causes progressive memory loss, which occurs when neurons that release acetylcholine decay in the brain.