What is a neuron?
A neuron is a cell which transmits information to other cells in the body. These pathways made by neurons control all aspects of life. A single neuron consists of a cell body, an axon and dendrites. The cell body contains a nucleus and is connected to the axon, which is the longest part of a neuron. An axon sends the information to other neurons. Dendrites on the other hand are much shorter and bring information from other cells to the neuron. There are three types of neurons.
- Sensory neurons - which transmit information from the external world to the brain (via spinal cord)
- motor neurons - which transmit the information from the spinal cord to the muscles (and therefore are essential for creating movement)
- interneurons - which connect sensory and motor neurons and therefore enable them to communicate with each other.
MP
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