Neurons are the brain’s messaging system. How do they communicate with each other? This is a schematic drawing of a neuron. On the left is the cell body, which contains the cell nucleus. Extending outward from the cell body are dendrites, which receive information from other neurons. When the cell body is sufficiently stimulated, an electric pulse called an action potential is generated that travels down the axon to the terminal region. It is from the nerve terminal that brain chemicals (neurotransmitters, such as dopamine) are released into the synapse or gap between neurons. These chemicals can then attach to receptors located on the dendrites of neighboring neurons, transmitting information from one cell to the next. Some axons travel a long distance (extending all the way from your brain to your toes)--they are covered with an insulator called myelin, which facilitates the transmission of the action potential down to the nerve terminal.