action potential
The action potential is a wave of electrical changes that passes down a nerve cell. It is how nerves carry information from the brain to muscles and from sensory cells back to the brain. Electrical impulse goes down the neuron until it reaches the synapse where chemicals called neurotransmitters are released and carry the impulse to the next nerve cell.
Links
Animation of action potential from Harvard Outreach
Other animations from Harvard Outreach
Neuroscience for Kids - The Action Potential
