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The nervous system uses mainly neuron cells to communicate. The neuron communicated "electrically" through what is called an action potential (basically an electric "signal" that travels along a neuron), this is generated when an appropriate stimulus (on a cellular level) brings the axon hillock region of the neuron to an electrical potential difference (between inside and outside of cell) of -55mV. This triggers the electrically triggered Na+ (sodium ion) gates to open, this causes a massive flow of a + charged ion into a region of the cell, making it more positive there, which triggers another electrically gated Na+ channel right next to it (closer to the "end" of neuron), then the flow of Na+ ions in to that region open the gates next to it....ect. This repeats until the "signal" has traveled all the way down to the "end" of the neuron. The "signal" is really information.

Neurons can use chemicals to communicate too, these chemicals are called neurocrines. They can work like hormones (long distance commun. and travel through the blood stream), or they can work on a very short distance (neurotransmitters). I will give an example using AcH (acetyl choline, a neurotransmitter used in many cases, including muscle contraction). When you think about moving your arm, action potentials are generated in your brain and travel along other neurons (through spinal cord, and through/into arm) and end up right above certain parts of muscle cells. they stop just above but don't touch your muscles. then as the action potential reaches the end of the neuron, the "electrical signal" is converted into a chemical signal (by devices in the neuron looking for specific voltages before "production" begins). Then this chemical (AcH or ACh) is released from the end of the neuron right over the muscle cell (this region is called the synaptic cleft). The AcH travels a very very short distance and then binds to receptors on the muscle cell, stimulating the muscle cell to begin the contraction process, the action potentials are coming one after another as fast as they can (there is a limit). so when you hold you arm out, your muscles not getting a continual signal telling it to stay contracted, but a series of signals, and so in the space between the neuron and muscle cell a chemical is released (by the muscle cell) that's breaks down the AcH in such a way that the muscle cell thinks its getting a continuous signal. I got a little off topic but i wanted to explain why the space was there.

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