Multiple Choice
_____ is the release of a neural impulse, consisting of a reversal of the electrical charge within the axon.
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3. Biological Psychology
Communication in the Nervous System
Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes how neurons communicate with each other in the nervous system?
A
Neurons communicate by direct electrical conduction through gap junctions only, without any chemical involvement.
B
Neurons communicate by sending hormones through the bloodstream to target other neurons.
C
Neurons communicate by releasing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft, which bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron.
D
Neurons communicate by physically merging their cell membranes to transfer genetic material.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that neurons communicate primarily through a process involving both electrical and chemical signals, but the key communication between neurons occurs chemically at synapses.
Recognize that the space between two neurons is called the synaptic cleft, which is a small gap where communication happens.
Know that when an electrical signal (action potential) reaches the end of a neuron (presynaptic terminal), it triggers the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.
These neurotransmitters cross the synaptic cleft and bind to specific receptors on the membrane of the next neuron (postsynaptic neuron), which can initiate a new electrical signal in that neuron.
Conclude that this chemical signaling via neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft is the primary and most accurate description of how neurons communicate with each other.
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