Nerve transmission is the process by which signals are sent along neurons, the specialized cells in the nervous system. When a neuron is activated, it generates an electrical impulse called an action potential. This impulse travels down the neuron's axon, a long, thin extension, until it reaches the end of the neuron. At the end of the axon, the electrical signal triggers the release of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that cross the gap, or synapse, between neurons. These neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the next neuron, allowing the signal to continue its journey through the nervous system.