Inhibition is as important as excitation, if not more so. The neurons that perform this function are known as inhibitory neurons, and they have the special property of making sure our brain functions smoothly and is accident-free.

When activated, inhibitory neurons release the neurotransmitter chemicals that cross some synapses and carry a signal to the… GABAGamma aminobutryic acid, the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter, which is known to hyperpolarize the postsynaptic neurons, i.e. it makes the membrane potential more negative, making it harder for the neuron to reach the threshold to fire an action potential electrical signal that travels within neurons and allows …, thereby causing ‘inhibition’. Most often, inhibitory neurons are also called GABAergic neurons for that reason. Although they constitute only 20-25% of all neurons in the cortex, they are strikingly diverse, with different morphologies, sizes, intrinsic properties, connectivity patterns, and protein expression.