Excerpted form Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Dog Care, by Randy Kidd, D.V.M., Ph.D. Copyright (c) 2000 by Randy Kidd, D.V.M., Ph.D.. Reprinted by permission of Storey Books.
What is a Neuron. A neuron is a very specialized cell that forms the basis of the nervous system. It is also referred to as a nerve cells. Neurons are unique in that they transmit signals throughout the body. These signals are referred to as action potentials, nerve impulses or spikes.
A neuron (also known as a neurone or nerve cell) is a cell that carries electrical impulses. Neurons are the basic units of the nervous system and its most important part is the brain. Every neuron is made of a cell body (also called a soma), dendrites and an axon. Dendrites and axons are nerve fibres. There are about 86 billion neurons in the human brain, which comprises roughly 10% of all brain cells.