Electrical vs Chemical Synapses — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2022Which statement is incorrect regarding synapses?
Which statement is incorrect regarding synapses?
Answer & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: D — Impulse across chemical synapse is always faster
Chemical synapses are actually slower than electrical synapses because they involve neurotransmitter release, diffusion across synaptic cleft, and receptor binding - all time-consuming processes. Electrical synapses allow direct current flow through gap junctions, making them faster. Options a, b, and c correctly describe synaptic properties, making d the incorrect statement.
Read more NCERT concept on the PYQ
A nerve impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another through junctions called synapses. A synapse is formed by the membranes of a pre-synaptic neuron and a post-synaptic neuron, which may or may not be separated by a gap called synaptic cleft. There are two types of synapses, namely, electrical synapses and chemical synapses. At electrical synapses, the membranes of pre- and post-synaptic neurons are in very close proximity. Electrical current can flow directly from one neuron into the other across these synapses. Transmission of an impulse across electrical synapses is very similar to impulse conduction along a single axon. Impulse transmission across an electrical synapse is always faster than that across a chemical synapse. Electrical synapses are rare in our system.
NTA tests your understanding of synapse types and transmission speeds. The key concept is that electrical synapses allow direct current flow between neurons and transmit impulses faster than chemical synapses, though they're rare in humans. Students commonly mistake this and think chemical synapses are faster or that all synapses work the same way. Remember: electrical synapses = direct/fast/rare; chemical synapses = neurotransmitter-mediated/slower/common in humans. NEET often asks comparative questions like 'which synapse transmits impulses faster?' or 'where are electrical synapses found?' Focus on the structural difference (no gap vs synaptic cleft) and functional consequence (speed difference).
What does NCERT say about nerve impulse transmitted from?
Has this concept appeared in NEET?
Which chapter is this from?
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 176 of the 180 ReNEET 2026 (June 21) questions were already in the MedicNEET question bank before the exam.
176/180MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.