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axon

axon

5 7.0
A long thin part of a nerve cell that sends electrical signals to other cells
  • noun
  • /ˈæksɒn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : axón
  • Several regulatory mechanisms have been described that control the selective entry of cargos into the axon.
  • myelin around axons
  • axons of neurons
  • proximal axon

You need You need cholesterol for your axons and your myelin sheaths.

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Examples

  • The axon is responsible for transmitting electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body.

  • The inside of the brain, called the white matter, consists of myelinated axons.

    Academic text (2015)
  • At this point, the axons join to form the motor root.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The present study also demonstrated that potential secondary donors are available with similar axon counts.

    Academic text (2012)
  • In addition, you have huge bundles of axons passing through that region.

  • Myelin is a protective covering around the axons of neurons and allows them to communicate quickly and efficiently.

    Academic text (2010)
  • As a person grows and matures, glial cells coat the axons inside the brain with myelin.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Oligodendrocytes coat the axons with a myelin sheath to enhance the speed of neural signals.

  • Myelin sheaths wrap around axons, enabling faster communication between neurons.

Synonyms

nerve fiber
vsaxon
  • Specialized
4 3.4

A long thin part of a nerve cell that sends electrical signals

is the specific type that sends impulses away from the cell body

How Big

nervous system
  • Specialized
81 2.8
nerve
  • Specialized
367 3.5
nerve pathway
  • Specialized
1 5.3
nerve fiber
  • Specialized
4 3.4
axon
  • Specialized
5 7.0

Surface Forms

axon singular
axons plural

Etymology

Axon comes from the Greek word axōn, meaning 'axis' or 'axle'. So an axon is like a long 'axle' that carries electrical messages away from the nerve cell's body.