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

See Examples For:

neuron neurons

"What we show is that a single human neuron is itself an extraordinarily sophisticated computing device."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

If an artificial "twin" requires greater complexity to imitate the behavior of a biological neuron, then the biological neuron itself has greater computational power.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

"People often think of a neuron as a simple switch that either turns on or off," said Segev.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

When an expected reward did not appear, however, orexin neuron activity remained high.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

There is always a tiny gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of the next.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

According to the researchers, the hippocampal hyperactivity associated with APOE4 was entirely driven by APOE4 produced within neurons themselves.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

The molecule appeared at unusually high levels in neurons carrying APOE4.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

The hippocampal neurons of APOE3 mice eventually became more excitable as well, but that shift did not appear until the animals were old.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

After Nell2 levels fell, the neurons became larger and less excitable.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

And then the answer that always runs through my neurons and neurochips: unknown.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson