what do neurotransmitters do

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry messages from one nerve cell to the next nerve, muscle, or gland cell. They are essential for the proper functioning of the body and are involved in countless functions of the nervous system, including regulating bodily functions such as heart rate, breathing, sleep cycles, digestion, mood, concentration, appetite, and muscle movement. Neurotransmitters are located in the axon terminal of the neuron and are stored within thin-walled sacs called synaptic vesicles. After binding to the target cell, the neurotransmitter triggers a change or action in the target cell, such as an electrical signal in another nerve cell, a muscle contraction, or the release of hormones from a cell in a gland. There are over 100 different neurotransmitters, and scientists are still discovering more about these chemical messengers. Some of the most common neurotransmitters include acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA, glycine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Different neurotransmitters play one of three roles: excitatory, inhibitory, or modulatory. Excitatory neurotransmitters encourage a target cell to take action, while inhibitory neurotransmitters decrease the chances of the target cell taking action. Modulatory neurotransmitters can send messages to many neurons at the same time and communicate with other neurotransmitters.