Axons can range in length from a fraction of an inch to several feet,
but they all have the same function: to carry messages to other cells.
How does the neuron send its signal down the axon?
Axonal conduction is a complicated electrical-chemical process.
In simplest terms, it involves an electrical impulse that travels down the axon like a wave.
Every time an impulse travels down the axon, we say that the axon has "fired," or "responded."
This impulse is also called the action potential.
Let's enlarge a portion of the axon to get a closer view of this process.
To understand how impulses travel, you need to know that some molecules can pass easily through the membrane,
while others can only pass through special channels controlled by gates.