Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

cell body

American  

noun

Biology.
  1. the compact area of a nerve cell that constitutes the nucleus and surrounding cytoplasm, excluding the axons and dendrites.


cell body Scientific  
  1. The portion of a neuron that contains the nucleus but does not incorporate the dendrites or axon.


Etymology

Origin of cell body

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

They move and feed by extending parts of their cell body, a process that gives them their distinctive shape.

From Science Daily May 2, 2026

An axon is a long cable-like extension from a neuron cell body that transfers the neuron's signal to another neuron.

From Science Daily Mar. 15, 2024

Among neurons, in contrast, the fusion happened farther away from the cell body, at long, thin extensions known as dendrites and axons, which are critical for cell-cell communication.

From Science Magazine Jun. 6, 2023

Indeed, every 3-cm increase in axon length is calculated to add more than double the volume of the neuronal cell body to the axon each day.

From Scientific American Sep. 29, 2022

Thus the Purkinje cell is stimulated at three points: cell body, trunks of the dendrites, and twigs of the dendrites.

From Psychology A Study Of Mental Life by Woodworth, Robert S.

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training