neuron

American  

[noor-on, nyoor-] / ˈnʊər ɒn, ˈnjʊər- /

especially British, neurone

noun

neurons plural

1. Cell Biology. a specialized, impulse-conducting cell that is the functional unit of the nervous system, consisting of the cell body and its processes, the axon and dendrites.

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neuron Scientific  

/ nr′ŏn′ /

1. A cell of the nervous system. Neurons typically consist of a cell body, which contains a nucleus and receives incoming nerve impulses, and an axon, which carries impulses away from the cell body.

2. Also called nerve cell

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• neuronal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• neurons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of neuron

First recorded in 1880–85, neuron is from the Greek word neûron sinew, cord, nerve

Explanation

The cells in your nervous system are called neurons. Scientists believe there are approximately 90 billion neurons in your brain. You can also call a neuron a nerve cell, or a cell whose job it is to carry electrochemical messages throughout the nervous system. In the 1880s, neuron was used to mean "the brain and spinal column," or the nervous system itself. Later in the nineteenth century, neuron came to mean "nerve cell with appendages," from the Greek neuro-, "nerve."

Example Sentences

Although scientists have long known about several forms of cell death, including apoptosis, those mechanisms have never fully explained the extensive neuron loss seen in these disorders.

From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026

By attaching itself to Arc inside these microscopic vesicles, Tau is able to travel from an unhealthy neuron into a healthy one, where it can continue spreading disease.

From Science Daily • Jun. 30, 2026

Instead, glucose strongly suppressed AgRP neuron activity, resulting in a much larger effect on hunger-related brain signaling.

From Science Daily • Jun. 26, 2026

ALS, a progressive and terminal motor neuron disease, robs a person of the ability to move and, ultimately, to breathe, according to the Mayo Clinic.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

A psychologist explains a computer simulation in which activation builds up in a neuron until it fires “like popcorn in a pan.”

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker