Thinking, Sensing & Behaving
Aging
Brain Development
Childhood & Adolescence
Diet & Lifestyle
Emotions, Stress & Anxiety
Hearing
Language
Learning & Memory
Movement
Pain
Sleep
Smell
Taste
Thinking & Awareness
Touch
Vision
See All
Diseases & Disorders
Addiction
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Cancer
Childhood Disorders
Epilepsy
Immune System Disorders
Injury
Mental Health
Neurodegenerative Disorders
Neurological Disorders A-Z
Therapies
See All
Brain Anatomy & Function
Anatomy
Body Systems
Cells & Circuits
Evolution
Genes & Molecules
See All
Neuroscience in Society
The Arts & the Brain
For Educators
Law, Economics & Ethics
Neuroscience in the News
Supporting Research
Tech & the Brain
See All
In the Lab
Animals in Research
BRAIN Initiative
Meet the Researcher
Neuro-technologies
Tools & Techniques
See All
Explore
3D Brain
Core Concepts
For Educators
Ask an Expert
Glossary
The Brain Facts Book
About Us
MyAccount
For Educators
Log in
Thinking, Sensing & Behaving
Aging
Brain Development
Childhood & Adolescence
Diet & Lifestyle
Emotions, Stress & Anxiety
Hearing
Language
Learning & Memory
Movement
Pain
Sleep
Smell
Taste
Thinking & Awareness
Touch
Vision
See All
Diseases & Disorders
Addiction
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Cancer
Core Concepts
How Neurons Communicate
Related Topics
Your Complex Brain
How Your Brain Processes Information
Neurons communicate using both electrical and chemical signals.
Sensory stimuli are converted to electrical signals.
Action potentials are electrical signals carried along neurons.
Synapses are chemical or electrical junctions that allow electrical signals to pass from neurons to other cells.
Electrical signals in muscles cause contraction and movement.
Changes in the amount of activity at a synapse can enhance or reduce its function.
Communication between neurons is strengthened or weakened by an individual's activities, such as exercise, stress, and drug use.
All perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors result from combinations of signals among neurons.
Learn How Neurons Communicate
Nuts and Bolts: The Neuron
Wellcome Trust
Electrifying the Brain
BrainFacts/SfN
Neuron Conversations: How Brain Cells Communicate
BrainFacts/SfN
3D Brain
An interactive brain map that you can rotate in a three-dimensional space.
Interact with the Brain