Synapses and reflexes

• synapses connect neurones
• a synapse is where two neurones join together
• when an electrical impulse reaches a synapse, chemicals called neurotransmitter move across the gap
• the neurotransmitter then set off a new electrical impulse in the next neurone
• reflexes help prevent injury
• reflexes are automatic, they happen without thinking and are quicker than a normal response
• reflexes help to stop you injuring yourself
• the passage of information in a reflex (from a receptor to an effector) is called a reflex arc
• the neurones in reflex arcs go through the spinal cord or through an unconscious part of the brain