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GCSE Biology · key term
The long part of a neurone that carries electrical impulses away from the cell body.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 2.13 · Paper 1
Revise: Neurones and SynapsesThe axon carries impulses away from the cell body towards its endings. Sensory neurones often have the cell body part-way along the cell, reflecting the route from a distant receptor to the CNS.
Specification B3.1a · Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher)
A long, thin extension of a neurone along which an electrical impulse travels.
Link each adaptation to its benefit. For example, a long axon carries impulses over long distances, while the myelin sheath insulates the neurone and increases transmission speed.
Distinguish a dendron from an axon: the dendron carries impulses towards the cell body; the axon carries impulses away from it.
When explaining an adaptation, link the structure to its effect: a long axon carries an impulse over a distance, while a fatty sheath increases transmission speed.
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Branched extensions called dendrites receive signals from other cells, while the axon is a long, thin part of the cell along which an electrical impulse travels. Branched endings allow a neurone to communicate with other cells.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
The long fibre of a neuron that carries an electrical impulse away from its cell body.
Revise: Neurons and SynapsesAn impulse then travels along the axon, a long fibre leading away from the cell body. Some axons run considerable distances through the body, so a message can travel along one cell before it needs to pass to another. Most axons have a fatty myelin sheath around them.