The other processes of the neuron are dendrites, which receive information from other neurons at specialized areas of contact called synapses. It is the axon that propagates the nerve impulse, which is communicated to one or more cells. That single axon can branch repeatedly to communicate with many target cells. Neurons are usually described as having one, and only one, axon-a fiber that emerges from the cell body and projects to target cells. But what makes neurons special is that they have many extensions of their cell membranes, which are generally referred to as processes. The cell body contains the nucleus and most of the major organelles. The main part of a neuron is the cell body, which is also known as the soma (soma = “body”). Neurons are important, but without glial support, they would not be able to perform their functions. Ongoing research pursues an expanded role that glial cells might play in signaling, but neurons are still considered the basis of this function. Glial cells, or glia, are known to play a supporting role for nervous tissue. They are electrically active and release chemical signals to target cells. They are responsible for the computation and communication that the nervous system provides. Neurons are the primary type of cell that most anyone associates with the nervous system. Nervous tissue is composed of two types of cells, neurons and glial cells. This Neuroscience section is composed of excerpts from that chapter to highlight just the key concepts that are most relevant to a study of sensation and perception. If you have yet to take a neuroscience class, you will want to read-thoroughly-the very excellent Chapter 12 from the OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology textbook.
Make sure that you’re familiar with each of these concepts-t his introductory section recaps background vocabulary to support other learning goals.
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