What are the chemicals called that carry electrical signals during synaptic transmission?

During synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters are the chemicals responsible for carrying electrical signals across the synaptic gap between neurons. When a nerve impulse reaches the end of a neuron, it triggers the release of these neurotransmitters from synaptic vesicles into the synaptic cleft. The neurotransmitters then bind to specific receptors on the surface of the postsynaptic neuron, leading to a change in the electrical potential of that neuron. This process effectively allows the transmission of signals within the nervous system, facilitating communication between neurons and enabling various functions such as movement, perception, and cognition.

Hormones, while important for signaling in the body, primarily operate through different pathways and are not involved in the rapid transmission of signals between neurons. Neuropeptides are a type of neurotransmitter but are generally involved in modulating the actions of other neurotransmitters rather than carrying electrical signals directly. Electromagnetic signals are not related to biochemical synaptic transmission and do not have a role in how neurons communicate with one another.