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dendrite
[ den-drahyt ]
noun
- Petrology, Mineralogy.
- a branching figure or marking, resembling moss or a shrub or tree in form, found on or in certain stones or minerals due to the presence of a foreign material.
- any arborescent crystalline growth.
- Anatomy. the branching process of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell.
dendrite
/ dɛnˈdrɪtɪk; ˈdɛndraɪt /
noun
- Also calleddendron any of the short branched threadlike extensions of a nerve cell, which conduct impulses towards the cell body
- a branching mosslike crystalline structure in some rocks and minerals
- a crystal that has branched during growth and has a treelike form
dendrite
/ dĕn′drīt′ /
- Any of several parts branching from the body of a neuron that receive and transmit nerve impulses.
- A mineral that has a branching crystal pattern. Dendrites often form within or on the surface of other minerals and often consist of manganese oxides.
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Derived Forms
- dendritic, adjective
- denˈdritically, adverb
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of dendrite1
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Example Sentences
The receiving neurons have special docking stations on their dendrites, known as receptors.
The neurotransmitters cross a narrow gap between cells to carry their message to a neighbor’s dendrites.
The dendrites send each impulse to the main part of the cell.
Chemicals released out of the cell here will then be picked up by the dendrites on a neighboring cell.
Another issue is that as the lithium ions flow back and forth, needle-like structures known as dendrites can form in the batteries and short-circuit the cell or cause it to catch fire.
These axon runners from one cell connect through synapses to dendrite runners on other cells.
Dendrite, den′drīt, n. a mineral in which are figures resembling plants.
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