What are neurotransmitters?
Each individual nerve cell - or neuron - can send and receive signals.
When a nerve cell receives a signal from another nerve cell, an electrochemical impulse passes from one end of the cell to the other. The cell then passes the signal on by releasing a chemical messenger called a neurotransmitter (neuro = nerve).
This neurotransmitter stimulates the next nerve cell along, which then sends the signal on.
There are many different neurotransmitters. They handle communication between nerve cells and so regulate every function of the brain. The most important neurotransmitters include:
- Acetylcholine
- Noradrenaline
- Serotonin
- Histamine
- Dopamine
- GABA
- Glutamate