Neuron Structure

Neurons need to produce many proteins for a series of powerful functions, and most proteins from neurons are produced in the soma. Various processes (such as appendages or protrusions) can be extended from the cell body. These include the dendrites and the axon, which is a separate process typically longer than the dendrites.

Parts of a Neuron

• Soma

The soma contains a nucleus and numerous organelles. The nucleus is responsible for RNA production to produce proteins. The soma, including most of the neuron's protein-synthesizing capacity, is primarily responsible for maintaining the whole neuronal mass. Because of this highly regionalized organization, many materials inevitably pass from the cell body to the outlying portions of the cell. This intracellular traffic replaces structural components consumed in metabolism and provides some of the materials specifically required for synaptic function.

Fig.1 Neuron Structure.

• Dendrite

Dendrites are the main sites for excitatory synaptic input. Some dendrites are unipolar, while others are multipolar; some have many branching orders, while others have only one or two branching orders; and some branch primarily in two dimensions, while others have complex three-dimensional structures. Individual neurons are complex units of integration that dynamically change with their environment. Dendrites are the principal structures responsible for synaptic integration and the changes in synaptic strengths that occur as a function of the neuron's activity.

• Axon

The axon is defined as a long neuronal process to send the information to the nerve terminal. Axons send signals to other neurons, muscles, or organs; not all neurons have axons. A single axon has multiple branches, allowing it to make synapses on various postsynaptic cells. Similarly, a single neuron can receive thousands of synaptic inputs from many different presynaptic-sending neurons. The axon terminal has many synaptic vesicles for releasing and sending neurotransmitters from presynaptic cells to other cells. All these neurotransmitters can cross the synapses and bind to membrane receptors on the postsynaptic cells, leading to an excitatory or inhibitory signal.

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