Nerve cells, also known as neurons, carry information through our bodies using electrical impulses and chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. A nerve cell’s size and shape depend on its role and location, but nearly all nerve cells have three main parts:
- Dendrites that extend like branches and receive signals
- A cell body containing the nucleus that holds the genetic material of the cell and controls its actions
- An axon, a long structure that transmits messages
