Question

Describe the structure of a neuron. Include the cell body, dendrites, and axon in your description. How does the structure of a neuron help it carry out its function efficiently?

Answer 1

Answer: A neuron has three main parts: dendrites, an axon, and a cell body or soma , which can be represented as the branches, roots and trunk of a tree, respectively. A dendrite (tree branch) is where a neuron receives input from other cells. Dendrites branch as they move towards their tips, just like tree branches do, and they even have leaf-like structures on them called spines.

The axon (tree roots) is the output structure of the neuron; when a neuron wants to talk to another neuron, it sends an electrical message called an action potential throughout the entire axon.

The features of neurons help them to carry out their function efficiently:

they have a long fibre (axon) so they can carry messages up and down the body over long distances

in a stimulated neuron, an electrical nerve impulse passes along the axon

the axon is insulated by a fatty (myelin) sheath - the fatty sheath increases the speed of the nerve impulses along the neuron

at each end of the neuron are tiny branches (dendrons), which branch even further into dendrites - the dendrites receive incoming nerve impulses from other neurons

Explanation:

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