postsynaptic potential

A postsynaptic potential (PSP) is the electrical change that occurs in a neuron when it receives signals from another neuron. When a neuron releases chemical signals (neurotransmitters) at a connection point called a synapse, these chemicals bind to receptors on the next neuron, causing tiny electrical shifts. These shifts either make the neuron more likely to fire an action potential (excitatory PSP) or less likely (inhibitory PSP). Essentially, PSPs are the small electrical signs that help neurons communicate and decide whether to pass messages along in the nervous system.