there are two current paths through a transistor .. base emitter and collector emitter which is via base ..A voltage or current applied to the terminals changes the current flowing through another pair of terminals.Because the output power can be much more than the controlling input power, the transistor provides amplification of a signal.
The essential usefulness of a transistor comes from its ability to use a small signal applied between one pair of its terminals to control a much larger signal at another pair of terminals. This property is called gain. A transistor can control its output in proportion to the input signal, that is, can act as an amplifier.