noun
axon
AK-sahn/ˈæksɑːn/
A long projection of a nerve cell that carries signals away from the cell body.
The diagram shows an axon carrying a signal away from the cell body.
Etymology
The Greek word for an axis or axle first named the body's skeletal axis in English. It was later applied to the nerve-cell fiber that carries impulses away from the cell body.
In context
most neurons have a cell body an axon and dendrites the axon sends information away from the cell body
More examples
- Some axons extend over long distances within the body.
- The nerve cell's axon branches near its far end.
- A protective sheath surrounds many axons.
Forms
axon · axons
Similar words
- dendrite
- Usually receives signals toward the cell body rather than carrying them away.
- nerve fiber
- Can include an axon together with its surrounding coverings.