why can nerve signals only travel in one direction?
In: Biology
They can travel along both directions within a single cell, but to jump between neurons a signal must traverse a gap by releasing some neurotransmitter, which initiates a signal in the next neuron. This can only happen in one direction, since only the axon can release and only the dendrites can receive.
Only one side of your nerve has neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are basically little doors to rooms full of chemicals. When the doors receive a signal, they open up and let the chemicals float over to the next nerve to tell that one to start a signal.
If the signal travels the wrong way down the nerve though, it will reach the end, but since there are no neurotransmitters on that side, it has no way to pass the signal to the next cell.
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