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Nerve cells need to be able to send messages to each other quickly and clearly. One way that nerve cells communicate with their neighbors is by sending a burst of small neurotransmitter molecules. These molecules diffuse to the neighboring cell and bind to special receptor proteins in the cell surface. These receptors then open, allowing ions to flow inside. The process is fast because the small neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine or serotonin, diffuse rapidly across the narrow synapse between the cells. The channels open in milliseconds, allowing ions to flood into the cell. Then, they close up just as fast, quickly terminating the message as the neurotransmitters separate and are removed from the synapse.
Read on to find out more about this protein which is the basis for the electric eel’s electric shock!
Biocurious is written by Andre Brown and Philip Johnson, since 2005. Content of the weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.
