The nervous system is composed of trillions of nerve cells, as well as other cells which maintain and support the nerve cells. The scientific name for a nerve cell is a neuron. Neurons function electrically to create thought and action in our bodies. Without nerve cells, human life would not, and could not be. Most of the cells which maintain and support neurons are glial cells. The word "glial" means glue. Glial cells not only maintain and support neurons, they serve as glue to keep them in place.
Neurons have a cell body, which like all cell bodies, is called a soma. Protruding from the soma are many nerve fibers. There are two kinds of nerve fibers, axons and dendrites. Axons are very long nerve fibers which send electro-chemical messages to other neurons or to glands and muscles to create action in them. Dendrites are short nerve fibers which receive electro-chemical information from the axon of other nerve cells. A typical nerve cell has several dendrites, but only one axon. When neurons are linked and bundled together to form and electrical line of conduction, they are called nerves. When neurons have specialized in detecting environmental events, they are called sensory receptors. The rods and cones of the eye and taste buds, for example, are specialized neurons.
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