Difference between electrical and chemical synapse

ELECTRICAL SYNAPSE

As the distance between synaptic junctions is shorter for electrical impulses, they travel faster.
In an electrical synapse, an ion current flows over a gap junction between neurons. It is bidirectional, and there is no delay. The advantage of electrical synapses is speed and precision such as in the heart where the muscles. Electrical synapses are faster but have no "gain," the signal gets weaker as it travels along the synapse to other neurons. Electrical synapses are only used for applications where a reflex must be extremely fast.
They are simple and allow for synchronized action.


Chemical synapse

Chemical synapses use neurotransmitters to send messages .Chemical synapses are much slower to react to stimuli. However chemical synapses transmit a signal with constant strength or even a signal that get stronger. This is called "gain." The advantage of a chemical synapse is that one neurotransmitter impulse can cause the action of multiple muscle cells, for example, whereas an electrical impulse is less versatile, mhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Um_MFFpjTx...ter2027-13.pngostly being used for sudden reactions, such as reflex actions. Another advantage of the chemical synapse is that it can be affected by multiple neurotransmitters, and then make the decision whether to pass on the information (make an action potential).