Final answer:
Communication within neurons is electrical, whereas communication between neurons is typically chemical, with neurotransmitters transmitting signals across synaptic gaps. However, electrical synapses also exist which allow rapid and direct electrical communication between neurons.
Step-by-step explanation:
Communication within neurons is electrical, whereas communication between neurons is chemical. This is because the movement of an action potential down the neuron's axon is an electrical process. In contrast, the transfer of information from one neuron to another across a synaptic gap involves the release and reception of neurotransmitters, which is a chemical process. Though less common, there can also be electrical synapses between neurons that are connected via gap junctions, enabling faster, and sometimes bidirectional, communication. Such synapses facilitate rapid responses and synchronization of neuronal activity.