What term describes the chemical messengers that facilitate communication between neurons?

• A. Neurotransmitter
• B. Hormone
• C. Enzyme
• D. Receptor

Answer: (A)

Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that facilitate communication between neurons. When an action potential reaches the end of a neuron, neurotransmitters are released into the synapse, cross the gap, and bind to receptors on the next neuron, influencing whether that neuron fires. This can either excite or inhibit the receiving neuron, helping to coordinate neural signaling.

Hormones operate in the endocrine system, traveling through the bloodstream to distant targets, not just across synapses. Enzymes are catalysts that speed up chemical reactions, not signaling messengers between neurons. Receptors are the proteins that receive signals, but they are not the messengers themselves.