Question at position 14 What does a neurotransmitter do?It measures the amount of activity in a brain.It either excites or inhibits a neuron.It flows through the bloodstream.It conveys information from one brain to another.

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Consider what a neurotransmitter does in neural communication. 
Option 1: 'It measures the amount of activity in a brain.' This is incorrect because neurotransmitters are chemical messengers, not measurement tools; they don’t quantify brain activity themselves.
Option 2: 'It either excites or inhibits a neuron.' This is the core function: neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron and can produce excitatory or inhibitory effects, shaping whether the neuron fires an action potential. This captures the essential mechanism of synaptic signaling.
Option 3: 'It flows through the bloodstream.' Neurotransmitters primarily act at synapses between neurons. When they circulate in the blood, they would be acting like hormones; the primary rapid signaling role of neurotransmitters is local, not bloodstream-based.
Option 4: 'It conveys information from one brain to another.' While neurotransmitters convey information between neurons, this phrasing overextends to "brain to brain" communication; their action is typically within a single nervous system between adjacent neurons rather than directly transferring messages between separate brains.
In summary, the statement that best describes the fundamental action of a neurotransmitter is that it can either excite or inhibit a neuron, depending on the receptor and context.

Question at position 14 What does a neurotransmitter do?It measures the amount of activity in a brain.It either excites or inhibits a neuron.It flows through the bloodstream.It conveys information from one brain to another.

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