neuron

American  

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

especially British, neurone

noun

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

• neuronal adjective

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

It assigns each neuron a unique RNA "barcode."

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

Activity in a content neuron began to predict the response of a context neuron just a few tens of milliseconds later.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Errors in neuron growth are associated with congenital and neurodevelopmental disorders.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

When glutamate reaches the next neuron, it can cause that cell to fire, continuing the chain of communication.

From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2025

A battle between neurochip and neuron, survival and sacrifice.

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