What components make up each neuron?

What components make up each neuron?

• A. Nucleus only.
• B. Cell body, dendrites, and axons.
• C. Synapses only.
• D. Glial cells only.

Answer: (B)

Neurons are built from three main parts: the cell body, dendrites, and the axon. The cell body, or soma, houses the nucleus and the cell’s essential machinery. Dendrites branch from the cell body and receive signals from other neurons. The axon carries electrical signals away from the cell body to other neurons or to muscles or glands. The nucleus lives in the cell body, but a neuron isn’t defined by the nucleus alone—the three primary components listed are what determine its basic structure and function. Synapses are the junctions where neurons communicate, not a structural part of every neuron, and glial cells are supporting cells around neurons, not neurons themselves.

Neurons are built from three main parts: the cell body, dendrites, and the axon. The cell body, or soma, houses the nucleus and the cell’s essential machinery. Dendrites branch from the cell body and receive signals from other neurons. The axon carries electrical signals away from the cell body to other neurons or to muscles or glands. The nucleus lives in the cell body, but a neuron isn’t defined by the nucleus alone—the three primary components listed are what determine its basic structure and function. Synapses are the junctions where neurons communicate, not a structural part of every neuron, and glial cells are supporting cells around neurons, not neurons themselves.