What is the axon terminal?

The axon terminal is located at one end of neural or nerve cells. It is the last part of the neuron that receives an electrical pulse and is also an area where the pulse is converted into a chemical signal. The axon terminal transmits information from neuron to another neuron, although it does not come into physical contact with other neuron.

Neuron has a series of axon terminals. They associate with dendrites of other neurons in the vicinity to transfer information from one neuron to another. Each axon terminal branches from a neuron like your fingers. Although there is a nerve in the axon, this signal is in the form of an electric pulse. These pulses are very small, each between 50 and 70 Milivolta. Once the electrical signal reaches the axon terminal, the information is converted to a chemical signal known as a neurotransmitter. The axon terminal then sends the chemikul signal to the dendritus of another neuron, which then converts this information back to the electrical signal and sends it down to another neuron.

Information travels through the neuron in one direction. It enters neuron during dendritus, which contains many fingers that can pick up broadcasts from many different nearby neurons. The signal then travels around the axon, which can be extremely long compared to the size of other cells. The information in the axon is protected by the myelin cloak around the axon that prevents the degradation of the electrical signal when it moves along the neuron. At the other end of the axon, the signal enters the terminal before jumping via the synapses to another neuron in the line.

The electrical signal jumps from the axon terminal to the dendritus of another neuron without touching the two touch neurons. The gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendritus of another is known as the synapse. The signals are released from the axon terminal in the form of neurotransmitters, which are special chemicals that fit into neuroreceptors per dendrite.