Which statement about neural communication is accurate?
A) All neurotransmitters increase the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will transmit a message.
B) The reason neural messages are transmitted from cell to cell is because they physically touch each other.
C) The part of the neuron that receives messages is called the synapse.
D) Neurotransmitters released into the synapse determine whether messages are sent from one neuron to another.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters are chemicals released by the presynaptic neuron into the synapse, and they bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. Depending on the type and amount of neurotransmitter released, they can either increase or decrease the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will transmit a message. Therefore, statement D is accurate. Statement A is incorrect because not all neurotransmitters increase the likelihood of message transmission. Statement B is incorrect because neurons do not physically touch each other, but communicate through the synapse. Statement C is incorrect because the synapse is the small gap between the presynaptic and the postsynaptic neurons, whereas the part of the neuron that receives messages is the dendrite.

Which Statement About Neural Communication Is Accurate