neurochemistry

thumb|right|250px| Diagram showing how the frequency of neuronal action potentials influences the amount of [[neurotransmitter released at a chemical synapse. Higher firing rates lead to increased vesicle fusion and chemical signaling within the synaptic cleft, processes central to neurochemistry.]]

Neurochemistry is the study of chemicals, including neurotransmitters and other molecules such as psychopharmaceuticals and neuropeptides, that control and influence the physiology of the nervous system. This particular field within neuroscience examines how neurochemicals influence the operation of neurons, synapses, and neural networks. Neurochemists analyze the biochemistry and molecular biology of organic compounds in the nervous system, and their roles in such neural processes including cortical plasticity, neurogenesis, and neural differentiation.