Which structure of a nerve cell is primarily responsible for transmitting impulses away from the cell body?

Which structure of a nerve cell is primarily responsible for transmitting impulses away from the cell body?

• A. Axon
• B. Dendrite
• C. Soma
• D. Synapse

Answer: (A)

Neurons have specialized parts with different roles: dendrites receive signals, the cell body (soma) processes them, the axon carries the nerve impulse away from the cell body, and the synapse is where the signal is passed to the next cell. The axon is the structure that transmits impulses away from the cell body because its job is to conduct the action potential along its length toward other neurons, muscle cells, or glands. Dendrites bring information into the neuron, the soma integrates this information but doesn’t send it along, and the synapse is the communication point between neurons, not the highway that carries the impulse within the neuron. In many neurons, the axon is insulated with myelin to speed up transmission, and its terminals release neurotransmitters at the synapse to pass the signal to the next cell.

Neurons have specialized parts with different roles: dendrites receive signals, the cell body (soma) processes them, the axon carries the nerve impulse away from the cell body, and the synapse is where the signal is passed to the next cell. The axon is the structure that transmits impulses away from the cell body because its job is to conduct the action potential along its length toward other neurons, muscle cells, or glands. Dendrites bring information into the neuron, the soma integrates this information but doesn’t send it along, and the synapse is the communication point between neurons, not the highway that carries the impulse within the neuron. In many neurons, the axon is insulated with myelin to speed up transmission, and its terminals release neurotransmitters at the synapse to pass the signal to the next cell.