Neuron Structure

A neuron is the basic signaling unit of the nervous system. Every neuron has three main parts: dendrites (receive signals), a cell body / soma (processes them), and an axon (sends the signal onward, often wrapped in a fatty myelin sheath that speeds up transmission).

Explore in 3D

Replace the placeholder above with a real model: download a CC-licensed neuron .glb (Sketchfab, BodyParts3D, or NIH 3D Print Exchange are good sources of free/open anatomical models), put it in /public/models/, and pass its path as modelUrl to <ThreeDViewer />.

Signal flow

1. Dendrites receive chemical signals from neighboring neurons.
2. If the combined signal is strong enough, the cell body fires an action potential.
3. The action potential races down the axon, jumping between gaps in the myelin sheath called nodes of Ranvier.
4. At the axon terminal, the signal triggers release of neurotransmitters into the synapse — the gap to the next neuron.

The speed of a myelinated axon can reach roughly:

where $d$ is the axon diameter in micrometers and $v$ is conduction velocity in meters/second — a useful rule of thumb, not an exact law.