axon

American  

[ak-son] / ˈæk sɒn /

Also axone

noun

1. Cell Biology. the appendage of the neuron that transmits impulses away from the cell body.

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axon British  

/ ˈæksəʊn, ˈæksɒn /

noun

1. the long threadlike extension of a nerve cell that conducts nerve impulses from the cell body Compare dendrite

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axon Scientific  

/ ăk′sŏn′ /

1. The long portion of a neuron that conducts impulses away from the body of the cell.

2. Also called nerve fiber

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axon Cultural  

1. The part of a nerve cell or neuron that transfers a nerve impulse from the nerve cell body to a synapse with another cell. (See action potential.) Depending on the location of the cell, the length of an axon can vary widely. In some cases (such as the axons that form the spinal cord), they may be several feet long.

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Usage

What is an axon? The axon is the part of the neuron that carries impulses away from the cell body.Neurons are the cells that gather information in the form of impulses and send them throughout the body. The neuron is made up of the cell body, the dendrites, and the axon.The axon, also called the nerve fiber, resembles a long, threadlike fiber. Most neurons only have a single axon. In vertebrates, the axon is covered by a myelin sheath made mostly of fat, protein, and water. The sheath increases the speed that impulses travel.The axon’s job is to move the impulses away from the cell body to another neuron or a muscle. The travel process is similar to electricity moving down a wire. At the end of an axon are bulbous structures called axon terminals, which form special junctions that connect the axon to other neurons or muscles. These junctions, called synapses, involve tiny gaps that the impulse jumps over to leave the axon. The impulse then travels through the new neuron and will eventually move through another axon. This process will repeat until the impulse reaches its destination.

Other Word Forms

• axonal adjective

Etymology

Origin of axon

1835–45; < New Latin < Greek áxōn an axle, axis; akin to Latin axis

Example Sentences

The second protein, SARM1 -- short for Sterile Alpha and TIR Motif-containing 1 -- has long been linked to axon degeneration.

From Science Daily • Jan. 27, 2026

The scientists also used mathematical modeling to see if the axon membrane influenced the shape or presence of the pearl on a string structure.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

In both cases, they found that signals were slower when axon pearls were smaller and more tightly spaced, whereas wider spacing between pearls led to faster signals.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 2, 2024

She’s not surprised that axon beads could affect signal conduction and calls the finding a “compelling” discovery that adds to the mechanisms that make the brain so adaptable.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 2, 2024

The giant axon of the Woods Hole squid became the apparatus for the creation of today's astonishing neurobiology.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas