Name: Tissues: Structure and Functions
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 9 min 12 s
Description: Animal tissues are the second level of organisation and form the basis of organs. They can be of many types and are sorted according to their functions and l...

Question

Describe the structure of the multipolar neuron.

Accepted Answer

A multipolar neuron is a type of neuron that possesses a single axon, a single cell body and many dendrites. Our central nervous system majorly consists of multipolar neurons.

Structure of a multipolar neuron:

Cell body: The cell body of a neuron, also called cyton or soma, is the spherical part of the neuron that contains the nucleus. The cell body is the major site of protein synthesis. It connects to the dendrites, which bring information to the neuron, and the axon sends information to other neurons. Its cytoplasm contains the nucleus, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, Nissl's granules, etc. In a multipolar neuron, the cyton appears star-shaped because more than two processes come out of it.

Axon: The axon or nerve fibre is a long, slender projection of a neuron. The axon of a neuron is myelinated at a certain site of the human nervous system. Axon initiates from a funnel-shaped area called an axon hillock. They pass the nerve impulse to the other neurons, which are received by dendrites of the latter.

Dendrite: A multipolar neuron possess many dendrites, which are membranous tree-like projections originating from the cell body.

Describe the structure of the multipolar neuron.

Important Questions on Structural Organisation in Animals-Animal Tissues

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