Neurotransmitters

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Neurotransmitters are chemical signals used by brain cells to communicate with one another — and, more broadly, between the brain and the rest of the body. This communication takes place across a tiny gap between cells called the synapse. When a neuron is activated, it releases neurotransmitters from its axon terminal into this space. The molecules travel across the synapse and bind to receptors on a neighboring cell, briefly carrying a signal forward. This process is tightly organized. Neurotransmitters are produced within the neuron, stored in small sacs called synaptic vesicles, and released in response to electrical activity. Afterward, they are cleared or reabsorbed, allowing the system to reset for the next signal. Neurotransmitters can influence activity in different ways. Some increase activity (excitatory), some dampen it (inhibitory), and some shape how signals are coordinated across networks (modulatory). Different neurotransmitters contribute to different aspects of brain function. These signals do not act in isolation. Their effects depend not only on how much is released, but on how signals are sustained, cleared, and coordinated over time. In mental health conditions, the issue is rarely a simple excess or deficiency. More often, it reflects dysregulation — a problem in how signals are timed, balanced, and brought back into alignment within the brain’s larger systems. Also see Sensory Receptors, Axons, Neurons, and Nerves. Neurotransmitters release various chemicals that rapidly transmit nerve impulses between neurons, including:

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