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Question

what function do you think the three major regions of neuron serve

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Solution

Dendrites

Dendrites are treelike 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.

Dendrite Characteristics
  • Most neurons have many dendrites
  • However, some neurons may have only one dendrite
  • Many are short and highly branched
  • Transmits 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 of the soma:
  • 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

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 myelinthat acts as an insulator. These myelinated axons transmit information much faster than other neurons.

Axon Characteristics
  • Most neurons have only one axon
  • Transmit information away from the cell body
  • May or may not have a myelin covering

Axons can range dramatically in size. Some are as short as 0.1 millimeters, while others can over 3 feet long.

The myelin surrounds 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.
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