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Nerve cells passing a message
Age 13 · Biology
Nerve cells are long, branching cells that carry messages around the body. A message travels as a tiny electrical pulse along a branch, and at the narrow gap to the next cell it is handed over by chemical signals.
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Age 13: open this week
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In the picture
- The cell body of the nerve cell: the rounded centre that keeps the cell alive and starts the message.
- The long branch of the nerve cell: the electrical pulse runs along it toward the far end.
- The small sacs at the branch tip: each one holds chemical signal molecules ready to be released.
- The narrow gap between the two nerve cells: the chemical signal crosses this space.
- The receiving branches of the next nerve cell: they pick up the signal and the message carries on.
Examples
- Touching a hot pan: the message races from your hand to your spinal cord in a fraction of a second.
- Picturing a friend’s face: millions of nerve cells send signals along their branches to build that image.
Key takeaways
- A nerve cell carries a message as a tiny electrical pulse along its branch.
- Where two nerve cells meet there is a narrow gap, and the message crosses it as a chemical signal.
Quiz: Nerve cells passing a message (Age 13)
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How does a message travel along the branch of a nerve cell?
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What happens to the message at the narrow gap between two nerve cells?
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What do the small sacs at the tip of a nerve cell’s branch do?
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