The Brain, Biology, and Behavior Neuron - An individual nerve cell. Soma, Axon, Dendrites. Receive messages from other neurons. Axon- Fiber that carries information away from the cell body of a neuron. Axons may branch at their ends to form axon terminals and link with somas and axons of other neurons.
Axons are like cables that carry messages throughout the nervous system.
This electrical charge is called the resting potential. When a nerve impulse from a neuron reaches the dendrites of another neuron, it may alter the electrical charge to about -50 millivolts. When the electrical charge reaches this threshold , a nerve impulse, or action potential , moves down the axon. The stimulation from the first neuron causes tiny openings in the surface of the axon membrane to open wider. Sodium ions rush inside the axon, potassium ions are crowded out.