A neuron is a specialized type of cell in the nervous system that is responsible for transmitting information throughout the body. It does this through electrical impulses and chemical signals, allowing the brain and nervous system to carry out everything from basic reflexes to complex thought and emotion. Neurons do not touch each other directly; instead, they communicate across synapses, where neurotransmitters act like messengers that carry the signal from one cell to another. This system allows for an incredibly fast and complex flow of information within the brain, spinal cord, and throughout the body. Neurons are the basic building blocks of the nervous system and are essential for everything from moving a muscle to experiencing emotions or forming memories.

Each neuron has three main parts:

1. Cell body (soma): This is the central part of the neuron that contains the nucleus. It maintains the cell’s health and produces proteins and other substances the neuron needs.
2. Dendrites: These are branch-like extensions that receive signals from other neurons and carry them toward the cell body.
3. Axon: This is a long, slender projection that transmits electrical impulses away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands. Many axons are covered in a fatty substance called myelin, which helps speed up the signal transmission.

At the end of the axon are axon terminals, which release neurotransmitters—chemical messengers that cross the synapse (the small gap between neurons) to communicate with the next cell.

There are many types of neurons, but they are often categorized by function into three broad types:

• Sensory neurons, which carry information from sensory organs to the brain and spinal cord.
• Motor neurons, which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.
• Interneurons, which connect neurons within the brain and spinal cord and play a role in interpreting sensory input and coordinating responses.