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neurite

neurite

1 9.8
A thin part of a nerve cell that grows out and carries signals
  • noun
  • /ˈnjʊəraɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : neurito
  • When a neuron is injured, it can regenerate its neurites to restore communication with other cells.
  • neurite outgrowth

Examples

  • The number of neurites per cell body was scored manually after visual inspection.

    Academic text (2016)
  • A sensory neurite is a brain like cell, but it's not in the brain.

  • Neurite analysis was performed with ImageJ and NeuronJ software.

    Academic text (2018)
  • For neurite outgrowth experiments, neurons were transduced with Beclin 1 lentivirus on 1 DIV.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Further reports suggest correlations between cognitive dysfunction and dystrophic neurites and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT).

    Academic text (1995)
  • The neurites of the neurons in this brain slice extend in different directions to form connections.

  • Research on neurites helps scientists understand how nerve cells transmit signals.

Synonyms

nerve fiber
vsneurite
  • Specialized
4 3.4

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

is the technical term for the same projection from a nerve cell

Surface Forms

neurite singular
neurites plural

Morphology

neurite = neuron (semi-transparent) = neur + ite

The root 'neur' is clear, but the suffix '-ite' is less common and may not be immediately recognizable to all learners.

Etymology

Neurite comes from the Greek neuron, meaning 'nerve', and the ending -ite, which you can think of as 'small part'. So a neurite is a 'small nerve part', a thin projection like an axon or dendrite that carries signals from a nerve cell.