What term describes the process of signal transfer between neurons, predominantly through neurotransmitters?

The process of signal transfer between neurons is primarily referred to as neural transmission. This involves the communication of electrical signals within a neuron and the subsequent release of neurotransmitters at the synaptic cleft, which then bind to receptors on postsynaptic neurons, initiating a response. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that facilitate this communication, making neural transmission crucial for functioning throughout the nervous system.

Neuroplasticity, on the other hand, refers to the ability of the brain to change and adapt in response to experience, which is more about the structural and functional changes that occur in the brain over time rather than the immediate process of signal transfer.

Synaptic activity is a broader term that can encompass various events at the synapse, including both transmission and modifications in synaptic strength, while neuromodulation refers specifically to the alteration of nerve activity by influencing the transmission of signals, typically through the action of neuromodulators, which can impact how neurotransmitters work but does not specifically define the overall process of signal transfer itself.

Thus, neural transmission specifically encapsulates the mechanism of how signals are transferred from one neuron to another through the action of neurotransmitters.