The brain is constantly mapping the external world like a GPS, even when we don't know about it. This activity comes in the form of tiny electrical signals sent between neurons—specialized cells that ...

The human brain contains nearly 86 billion neurons, constantly exchanging messages like an immense social media network, but neurons do not work alone – glial cells, neurotransmitters, receptors, and ...

Neurons can rapidly rebalance their communication using a structural signal rather than electrical activity, overturning long-held assumptions about how synapses maintain stability.

Contrary to previous assumptions, nerve cells in the human neocortex are wired differently than in mice. The study found that human neurons communicate in one direction, while in mice, signals tend to ...

When it comes to brain cells, neurons get the most attention. Their central role in our thoughts, sensations and behaviors has captivated scientists. But neurons are only half the story: glia, ...

The idea that the nervous system passes messages from one nerve cell to another only through synapses — the points where the cells link up end to end — is changing. Two studies show how messages can ...

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that help nerve cells (neurons) communicate with one another. These chemical messengers affect the brain by either exciting (stimulating), inhibiting ...

Every movement you make and every memory you form depends on precise communication between neurons. When that communication ...

Gut support cells communicate with surprising precision – like brain neurons – using tiny extensions to send instructions to the stem cells responsible for maintaining and healing the intestine. The ...

Closely related dopamine-releasing neurons in the olfactory bulb behave in fundamentally different ways depending on their physical structure.

After injury, the visual system can recover by growing new neural connections rather than replacing lost cells. Researchers ...