synaptic transmission

• how does synaptic transmission work?

  when a neuron is in a resting state, the inside of the cell is negatively charged compared to the outside. when a neuron is activated by a stimulus, the inside of the cell becomes positively charged for a split second causing an action potential to occur. this creates an electrical impulse that travels down the axon towards the end of the neuron. however, neurons do not directly touch and communicate with each other chemically through the release of neurotransmitters at the nerve endings.