Neuron
A specialized cell receives, integrates, and transmits information in the nervous system.
Definition
A neuron is a living nerve cell whose membrane and specialized structures support communication with other cells.
How to understand it
A typical introductory diagram shows dendrites receiving inputs, a cell body maintaining cellular processes, and an axon carrying signals toward terminals. This is a useful starting model, although real neurons vary in shape. Their activity depends on surrounding cells and on their connections, so a neuron should be understood as one participant in a functioning network.
When studying a behavior, keep the level of explanation explicit. Describing a neuron explains cellular communication; explaining a remembered conversation also requires an account of interacting circuits and experience. Learning the names of cell parts becomes more useful when each part is connected to a process, such as receiving an input or influencing another cell.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Noba: Neurons, n.d.); (Noba: The Brain and Nervous System, n.d.)
Following a fictional signal
Teaching scenario
A class builds a paper diagram of a circuit that helps a person reach toward a moving cup. One student labels the cell body, another traces the axon, and another marks the connection to the next cell. The diagram is deliberately simplified. Its purpose is to show why a single cell and a collection of connected cells answer different explanatory questions.
Constructed for learning. This scenario is not a report of an empirical finding or a diagnosis.
Common confusion: Nerve
A neuron is one cell; a peripheral nerve contains bundles of axons and supporting tissues.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Noba: Neurons, n.d.); (Noba: The Brain and Nervous System, n.d.)
Limits of the concept
- A standard multipolar drawing does not represent every neuron type.
- A cell diagram alone cannot explain a complex thought or identify a person’s intentions.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Noba: Neurons, n.d.); (Noba: The Brain and Nervous System, n.d.)
Textbook connection
Direct coveragePsychology 2e: 3.2 Cells of the Nervous System
Direct neuron anatomy and communication coverage.
Supplementary concepts may extend beyond this section. The source notes below identify the evidence for those details.
Related concepts
Check understanding · Inspect how psychological evidence is built
Sources and inspection notes
Checked October 21, 2026. An inspection date is not a source publication date. Definitions and scenarios on this page are original teaching explanations.
- Noba: Neurons. (n.d.). https://nobaproject.com/modules/neuronsCell anatomy, graded inputs, action potentials, and receptor-dependent synaptic signaling; no precise cell counts used.
Opened and inspected on 21 October 2026. Academic teaching synthesis; not a primary experiment.
- Noba: The brain and nervous system. (n.d.). https://nobaproject.com/modules/the-brain-and-nervous-systemNeuron parts, nerve bundles, cellular signals, and distinct explanatory scales.
Opened and inspected on 21 October 2026. Introductory academic synthesis; dated evolutionary rhetoric and numerical counts not used.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/3-2-cells-of-the-nervous-systemCourse textbook section
Opened actual subsection on 21 October 2026; title and URL verified. Course textbook, not independent primary evidence.