Specimens
Animal & human13
Plant3
Protists & fungi3
Prokaryotes2
Neuron
Nerve Cell
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About the Neuron
Nerve Cell
Brain, spinal cord, nerves
Neurons carry electrical and chemical signals through long branching networks.
Clinical and real-world context
Neuron shape helps learners connect cell structure with bedside neuroanatomy, reflexes, sensation, and motor signaling.
3 structures to explore
Axon
The signal highway
Some axons in the human body run from the spine to the foot, making neurons among the longest cells in nature.
A nerve impulse can travel at over 100 metres per second.
Soma
The cell body
The soma maintains the neuron and integrates signals arriving from branching dendrites.
Most neuron proteins are made in or near the soma.
Dendrites
The receiving branches
Dendrites increase the surface area available for receiving signals from other cells.
A single neuron can receive thousands of synaptic inputs.