Briefly describe what the parts of a neuron do

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In a simple sense, there are three main parts to a neuron. The dendrites are branch-like fibers that are considered to be the "receivers" for the neuron. They will gather messages from other neurons and send that information to the cell body for processing. If a threshold is reached in the cell body, it will send that message down the axon for potential transfer to another neuron. The cell body is like the processing unit and the axon guides where the output goes. The axon contains neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that may be deposited into the gap between neurons. The messengers may be received by dendrites of connecting neurons and the process continues. Another important structure is myelin. This is a fatty substance that wraps around neurons, insulating them and increasing the efficiency of the communication of messages.