There are 3 main types of neurons. Sensory neurons transmit information garnered by the senses to the spinal cord or brain. Motor neurons send information from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles or other target tissues. Interneurons transmit information between the sensory and motor neurons.
The dendrites gather information for the nerve cell by receiving electrochemical signals from another nerve cell. Neurons can have multiple tree-like dendrites with thousands of connections to other neurons.
The nerve cell body is also called the soma. The soma contains all of the basic cellular structures necessary for the cell to function. The soma processes the information gathered by the dendrite and decides whether to send that information on to other neurons.
The axon is the extension of the nerve cell that sends information to another neuron. It can be very short or up to 3 to 4 feet long.
A nerve cell may have a myelin sheath that surrounds the axon. The myelin sheath is a fatty insulator that helps the axon to transmit signals faster. The absence or loss of myelin, such as in multiple sclerosis, causes decreased nerve function.