Different Parts of a Neuron (2024)

Theories

Biological Psychology

From Dendrites to the Terminal Buttons Found at the End of Axons

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Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Different Parts of a Neuron (1)

Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Updated on April 05, 2023

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Adah Chung

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Fact checked byAdah Chung

Adah Chung is a fact checker, writer, researcher, and occupational therapist.

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Neuronsare the basic building blocks ofthe nervous system. These specialized cells are the information-processing units of the brain responsible for receiving and transmitting information. Each part of the neuron, from the dendrite to the terminal buttons found at the end of the axon, plays a role in communicating information throughout the body.

Neurons carry messages throughout the body, including sensory information from external stimuli and signals from the brain to different muscle groups in the body. In order to understand exactly how a neuron works, it is important to look at each individual part of the neuron. The unique structures of the neuron allow it to receive and transmit signals to other neurons as well as other types of cells.

Dendrites

Different Parts of a Neuron (3)

Dendrites are tree-like extensions at the beginning of a neuron that help increase the surface area of the cell body. These tiny protrusions receive information from other neurons and transmit electrical stimulation to the soma. Dendrites are also covered with synapses.

Characteristics

  • Have many dendrites, or only one dendrite
  • Are short and highly branched
  • Transmit information to the cell body

Most neurons possess these branch-like extensions that extend outward away from the cell body. These dendrites then receive chemical signals from other neurons, which are then converted into electrical impulses that are transmitted toward the cell body.

Some neurons have very small, short dendrites, while other cells possess very long ones. The neurons of the central nervous systems have very long and complex dendrites that then receive signals from as many as a thousand other neurons.

If the electrical impulses transmitted inward toward the cell body are large enough, they will generate an action potential. This results in the signal being transmitted down the axon.​

Soma

The soma, or cell body, is where the signals from the dendrites are joined and passed on. The soma and the nucleus do not play an active role in the transmission of the neural signal. Instead, these two structures serve to maintain the cell and keep the neuron functional.

Characteristics

  • Contains numerous organelles involved in a variety of cell functions
  • Contains a cell nucleus that produces RNA that directs the synthesis of proteins
  • Supports and maintains the functioning of the neuron

Think of the cell body as a small factory that fuels the neuron.

The soma produces the proteins that the other parts of the neuron, including the dendrites, axons, and synapses, need to function properly.

The support structures of the cell include mitochondria, which provide energy for the cell, and the Golgi apparatus, which packages products created by the cell and dispatches them to various locations inside and outside the cell.

Axon Hillock

The axon hillock is located at the end of the soma and controls the firing of the neuron. If the total strength of the signal exceeds the threshold limit of the axon hillock, the structure will fire a signal (known as an action potential) down the axon.

The axon hillock acts as something of a manager, summing the total inhibitory and excitatory signals. If the sum of these signals exceeds a certain threshold, the action potential will be triggered and an electrical signal will then be transmitted down the axon away from the cell body. This action potential is caused by changes in ion channels which are affected by changes in polarization.

Characteristics

  • Acts as something of a manager, summing the total inhibitory
  • Possesses an internal polarization of approximately -70mV in a normal resting state

When a signal is received by the cell, it causes sodium ions to enter the cell and reduce polarization. If the axon hillock is depolarized to a certain threshold, an action potential will fire and transmit the electrical signal down the axon to the synapses.

It is important to note that the action potential is an all-or-nothing process and that signals are not partially transmitted. The neurons either fire or they do not.

Axon

The axon is the elongated fiber that extends from the cell body to the terminal endings and transmits the neural signal. The larger the diameter of the axon, the faster it transmits information.

Some axons are covered with a fatty substance called myelin that acts as an insulator. These myelinated axons transmit information much faster than other neurons.

Characteristics

  • Most neurons have only one axon
  • Transmit information away from the cell body
  • May or may not have a myelin covering
  • Range dramatically in size, from 0.1 millimeters to over 3 feet long

The myelin surrounding the neurons protects the axon and aids in the speed of transmission. The myelin sheath is broken up by points known as the nodes of Ranvier or myelin sheath gaps. Electrical impulses are able to jump from one node to the next, which plays a role in speeding up the transmission of the signal.

Axons connect with other cells in the body including other neurons, muscle cells, and organs. These connections occur at junctions known as synapses.

The synapses allow electrical and chemical messages to be transmitted from the neuron to the other cells in the body.

Terminal Buttons and Synapses

Terminal buttons are found at the end of the axon, below the myelin sheath, and are responsible for sending the signal on to other neurons. At the end of the terminal button is a gap known as a synapse.

Neurotransmitters carry signals across the synapse to other neurons. When an electrical signal reaches the terminal buttons, neurotransmitters are then released into the synaptic gap.

Characteristics

  • Contain vesicles holding the neurotransmitters
  • Convert electrical impulses into chemical signals
  • Cross the synapse where they are received by other nerve cells
  • Responsible for the reuptake of any excessive neurotransmitters released during this process

A Word From Verywell

Neurons serve as basic building blocks of the nervous system and are responsible for communicating messages throughout the body.

Knowing more about the different parts of the neuron can help you to better understand how these important structures function as well as how different problems, such as diseases that impact axon myelination, might impact how messages are communicated throughout the body.

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Luengo-Sanchez S, Bielza C, Benavides-Piccione R, Fernaud-Espinosa I, DeFelipe J, Larrañaga P. A univocal definition of the neuronal soma morphology using Gaussian mixture models.Front Neuroanat. 2015;9:137. doi:10.3389/fnana.2015.00137

  2. Miller AD, Zachary JF. Nervous System.In: Zachary JF, ed. Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc.; 2017. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-35775-3.00014-X

Additional Reading

  • Debanne D, Campana E, Bialowas A, Carlier E, Alcaraz G. Axon Physiology.Psychol Rev. 2011;91(2):555-602.doi:10.1152/physrev.00048.2009

Different Parts of a Neuron (4)

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Different Parts of a Neuron (2024)

FAQs

What are different parts of the neuron? ›

A neuron has three main parts: dendrites, an axon, and a cell body or soma (see image below), which can be represented as the branches, roots and trunk of a tree, respectively.

What are the 10 parts of neuron? ›

  • What are neurons? They are tiny cells that are in charge of participating in the functions related to the nervous system. In our brain, there are millions of neurons, scientists calculate that we have about 80 million when we are born. ...
  • Nucleus.
  • Dendrites.
  • Cell body.
  • Glial cells.
  • Myelin.
  • Axon terminal.
  • Node of Ranvier.

What are the 4 different parts of a neuron? ›

A neuron has 4 major parts: the dendrites, the cell body, the axon and the axon terminal.

What are the different parts of a neuron and their function? ›

They have three distinct parts, including a cell body, axon, and dendrites. These parts help them to send and receive chemical and electrical signals.

Which are parts of a neuron quizlet? ›

Q-Chat
  • Dendrites. rootlike parts of the cell that stretch out from the cell body. ...
  • Soma/Cell body. contains nucleus and other parts of the cell needed to sustain its life.
  • Axon. ...
  • Myelin sheath. ...
  • Terminal Buttons. ...
  • Synapse. ...
  • Neurotransmitters. ...
  • Synaptic Vesicles.

What are the four main parts of a neuron quizlet? ›

Q-Chat
  • input zone. receives info from other cells through dendrites.
  • intergration zone. cell body (soma) region where inputs are combine and transformed.
  • conduction zone. single axon leads away from the cell body and transmit the electrical impulse.
  • out zone.

What are the 5 functions of a neuron? ›

Conduction of Nerve Impulses 2. Ion Gradients across the Membrane 3. Initiation of the Action Potential 4. Conduction of the Action Potential 5.

How many main neurons are there? ›

Approximately 86 billion neurons in the human brain. The latest estimates for the number of stars in the Milky Way is somewhere between 200 and 400 billion. So close, but the human brain certainly doesn't quite stack up! But why do scientists think there are 86 billion neurons?

What are the 5 major sensory neurons? ›

You can classify cells based on their morphology, location or by what kind of stimulus they respond to. It is common to group them into 5 classes: mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors, electromagnetic receptors and chemoreceptors.

What are the 3 main parts of a neuron? ›

A neuron has three basic parts: a cell body, and two branches called an axon and a dendrite. Within the cell body is a nucleus, which controls the cell's activities and contains the cell's genetic material.

What are the three 3 parts of a neuron? ›

Each neuron has three basic parts: cell body (soma), one or more dendrites, and a single axon.

What are the 3 types of neurons? ›

Based on their roles, the neurons found in the human nervous system can be divided into three classes: sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons.

What are the three parts of a neuron quizlet? ›

The nerve cells, or better known as neurons, are comprised of three main parts. These are the dendrite, axon, and cell body, all of which work together to transmit nerve impulses from one site to another.

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