Information is integrated and moved within a cell by means of electrical signals, which are produced as a result of the specific channel proteins and pumps found in the lipid bilayer of the plasma membrane. And you have already learned about cell junctions based on proteins inserted at specific places in a cell's membrane. Add the synapse to this list. Finally, you have already learned that cells synthesize and release chemical signals that affect the activities of other cells by binding to protein receptors. Add the chemical signals made by neurons to this list.
Neurons have periods of rest that alternate with periods of electrical activity.
At rest, the interior of the neuron has a slight excess of negative charge relative to the fluid on the other side of the plasma membrane. During periods of electrical activity, there are rapid reversals of this charge distribution, with the inside gaining a slight excess of positive charge relative to the cell exterior. These signals are action potentials. They occur because some of the channel proteins in nerve cell membranes have voltage-sensitive gates. In the course of an action potential, these channels open briefly and then close again.