growth cone

American  

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a flattened area at the end of a growing axon or dendrite, having radiating filopodia and lemellopodia that function as guides for the outgrowth of embryonic nerve fibers.

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Example Sentences

“The whole cell is almost like a neuron’s growth cone, sniffing around its environment and looking for changes,” Bergles says.

From Scientific American • Jun. 24, 2013

Figure 4: Neuroblastoma with genomic defects in neuritogenesis genes cluster in high-risk tumours. a, Diagram of a neurite growth cone depicting the function of the proteins encoded by genes with genomic aberrations in neuritogenesis.

From Nature • Mar. 28, 2012

Figure 4: Neuroblastoma with genomic defects in neuritogenesis genes cluster in high-risk tumours. a, Diagram of a neurite growth cone depicting the function of the proteins encoded by genes with genomic aberrations in neuritogenesis.

From Nature • Mar. 28, 2012

What guides an axon on its incredible voyage is a "growth cone," a creepy, crawly sprout that looks something like an amoeba.

From Time Magazine Archive