Which statement correctly contrasts neurotransmitters and hormones?

Which statement correctly contrasts neurotransmitters and hormones?

• A. Neurotransmitters act across synapses and are fast; hormones travel through the bloodstream to act on distant targets with longer duration
• B. Hormones travel faster than neurotransmitters
• C. Neurotransmitters travel through the bloodstream and act on distant targets
• D. Hormones act across synapses and are fast

Answer: (A)

Neurotransmitters vs hormones differ in distance and speed of signaling. Neurotransmitters are released into a synapse, crossing a tiny gap to a neighboring neuron or muscle cell, which makes their signaling very fast and precise. Hormones travel through the bloodstream to distant targets, and their effects typically have a slower onset but last longer. The statement that reflects this contrast—neurotransmitters acting across synapses quickly, and hormones traveling in the blood to distant targets with a longer duration—accurately captures the major difference between these two signaling systems. The other ideas—hormones moving faster than neurotransmitters, neurotransmitters traveling through the bloodstream to distant targets, or hormones acting across synapses and being fast—don’t fit the known distinctions.

Neurotransmitters vs hormones differ in distance and speed of signaling. Neurotransmitters are released into a synapse, crossing a tiny gap to a neighboring neuron or muscle cell, which makes their signaling very fast and precise. Hormones travel through the bloodstream to distant targets, and their effects typically have a slower onset but last longer. The statement that reflects this contrast—neurotransmitters acting across synapses quickly, and hormones traveling in the blood to distant targets with a longer duration—accurately captures the major difference between these two signaling systems. The other ideas—hormones moving faster than neurotransmitters, neurotransmitters traveling through the bloodstream to distant targets, or hormones acting across synapses and being fast—don’t fit the known distinctions.