How Brain Cells Communicate

[00:00:00]An electrical signal races through a neuron at incredible [music] speed, then suddenly stops.

[00:00:07]At the end of the neuron lies a tiny gap called a synapse, too wide for electricity to cross on its own. To continue the message, the neuron must switch from electricity to chemistry.

[00:00:20]In a fraction of a second, special molecules called neurotransmitters are released into the synapse.

[00:00:28]They drift across [music] the microscopic gap and bind to receptors on the next neuron, restarting the electrical signal >> [music] >> and allowing the message to continue its journey. These messages travel between billions of nerve cells through tiny junctions called synapses.

[00:00:46]Because neurons do not physically touch each other, they rely on neurotransmitters to carry information across the gap.

[00:00:53]Different neurotransmitters have different roles in the body. Dopamine is [music] involved in motivation and reward. Serotonin helps regulate mood and sleep. [music] And acetylcholine plays an important role in memory and muscle movement. Without neurotransmitters, thought, movement, memory, and emotion would be impossible.