Where does this come from, and can I check it?

A neuron releases chemical messengers into the synaptic cleft to reach the next cell. The figure is taken from NIMH, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a human body fact?

Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Nerve cells talk across a twenty nanometre gap

A neuron releases chemical messengers into the synaptic cleft to reach the next cell An arriving impulse opens calcium channels and triggers vesicles of neurotransmitter to fuse with the membrane. The molecules diffuse across the cleft and bind receptors on the far side. The signal is then cleared by enzymes or reuptake pumps so the synapse can fire again. It sits in Mondo's human body collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NIMH

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Science trivia

More facts like this

The human brain contains about 86 billion neuronsVast neural networks communicate across trillions of individual synaptic connections Neurons pass signals across microscopic synaptic gapsElectrical impulses trigger neurotransmitter release to communicate across synapses The autonomic system has accelerator and brake branchesSympathetic nerves mobilise the body for action while parasympathetic nerves restore calm The hippocampus replays the day to build memoriesDuring sleep, it reactivates recent patterns and passes them to the cortex The amygdala reacts to threats before the cortexA short subcortical pathway reaches it in milliseconds, ahead of conscious appraisal Nearly all sensory signals pass through the thalamusThis paired egg-shaped structure sits at the centre of the brain and routes input onward

Tags: synapse, neurons, chemicals

Nerve cells talk across a twenty nanometre gap: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: A neuron releases chemical messengers into the synaptic cleft to reach the next cell. The figure is taken from NIMH, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a human body fact?: Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.