Illustration of Neuron and Synapse

This illustration provides a clear visual of a neuron, the fundamental unit of the nervous system. We see its main parts: the cell body with branching dendrites, and a long axon covered in segments of myelin sheath, which helps to speed up electrical impulses. A red arrow indicates the direction of the nerve impulse traveling down the axon. The image also zooms in on how the axon is insulated by myelin and, importantly, depicts a synapse where the neuron communicates with a target cell. Here, neurotransmitters are released from the neuron's terminal and bind to receptors on what appear to be muscle cells, transmitting the signal across the synaptic cleft. It beautifully captures the intricate process of neural communication and muscle innervation.

neuron - synapse - nervous system - anatomy - biology - nerve impulse - neurotransmitter - myelin sheath - muscle cells