An action potential represents a change in electrical potential from the resting potential of the neuronal cell membrane, and is a series of electrical and underlying chemical changes that travel down the length of a neural cell (neuron). The neural impulse is created by the controlled development of action potentials that sweep down the body (axon) of a neural cell.

There are two major control and communication systems in the human body, the endocrine system and the nervous system. In many respects, the two systems compliment each other. Although long duration effects are achieved through endocrine hormonal regulation, the nervous system allows nearly immediate control, especially regulation of homeostatic mechanisms (e.g., blood pressure regulation).

The neuron cell structure is specialized so that at one end, there is a flared structure termed the dendrite. At the dendrite, the neuron is able to process chemical signals from...