Neurons are complicated, but the basic functional concept is that synapses transmit electrical signals to the dendrites and cell body, and axons carry signals away. In one of many surprise findings, ...

Neurons are the basic information processing structures in the brain and consist of three parts: dendrites, responsible for receiving information; axons, responsible for sending information; and the ...

Light and gravity ensure that tree trunks grow straight up while their roots burrow deep underground. What about neurons, which can project up, down, and anywhere in between? What keeps the axon a ...

Penn State University molecular biologists have discovered a brand-new pathway for repairing nerve cells that could have implications for faster and improved healing. The researchers describe their ...

A neuron is a thing of beauty. Ever since Santiago Ramón y Cajal stained them with silver nitrate to make them visible under the microscopes of the 1880s (see drawing above), their ramifications have ...

The discovery of a new shape of brain cell has neuroscientists scratching their heads over what the function of these neurons might be. Though neurons come in different shapes and sizes, the basic ...

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), governs axon and dendrite growth in determining cell polarity, according to research groups from China and Japan. GSK-3β is found throughout neurons but is less ...

Neurons in the fly can radically remold their cytoskeleton to rebuild a severed axon -- a finding that might provide clues to how neurons recover from injury, researchers reported yesterday at the ...

Note: Some students might have trouble discussing this topic because they may have a family member with Alzheimer's disease. Model a nerve cell. Explain to students that the nervous system functions ...

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the ...