If a neurotransmitter is taken back up into the presynaptic neuron via the reuptake transporter, it’s protected and can be used again.
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In either case, once the neurotransmitter is released from the receptor, it’s either taken back up into the synaptic vesicle of the axon terminal by a neurotransmitter reuptake pump (transporter) or it’s destroyed by enzymes present in the synapse. However, if the voltage isn’t sufficient, the signal won’t be transmitted. Neurotransmitters act like electricity-when given enough “juice,” functions are turned on and operate smoothly. To better understand what we’re talking about here, let’s use the analogy of electricity: if you increase the voltage, more electricity can move through a wire. However, if there aren’t enough neurotransmitters to trigger the receptors, then the message stops. When enough neurotransmitters are bound to the receiving neuron’s receptors, a signal is sent down the neuron, and the message continues on. Once released, these neurotransmitters then cross the synapse at what’s called the synaptic cleft to bind to the receptors on the dendrite of another neuron-the postsynaptic neuron. Neurotransmitters are stored in the axon terminal, or presynaptic neuron, in packages called synaptic vesicles, which release neurotransmitters when an appropriate electrical signal, or action potential, triggers the axon terminal. However, in order for this to happen, the neurotransmitter must cross the synapse-the space between the axon and the dendrite. A neuron communicates with other neurons by sending neurotransmitters from its axon, or nerve fiber, to the dendrite of another neuron. How Do Neurons Communicate?Īlthough multiple branches can occur in more complex pathways, in its simplest form, a neuron has two ends: an axon and a dendrite. So if you’ve ever wondered how your brain communicates, come with us as we journey through the realm of brain neurotransmitters and the amino acids that fuel them. But there’s much more to the story than this. And each of these brain cells communicates with the help of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Within the brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system are approximately 86 to 100 billion nerve cells known as neurons.