Somas

Somas is the plural form commonly used to refer to the cell bodies of neurons and other cell types in biology. The term soma, or perikaryon, denotes the spherical to irregularly shaped region that contains the nucleus and most of the cytoplasm’s organelles. In neurons, the soma is distinct from the dendrites and the axon, and it serves as the metabolic and synthetic center of the cell.

The soma houses key cellular components such as the nucleus, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and various vesicles. Ribosomes associated with the rough ER enable protein synthesis, a function that supports the maintenance and growth of the neuron. Although most neuronal protein production occurs in the soma, some local protein synthesis can occur in dendrites. The size and shape of somata vary widely among neuron types, ranging roughly from a few micrometers to over a hundred micrometers in diameter.

Anatomically, somata are organized differently depending on the nervous system region. In the central nervous system, groups of somata form nuclei, whereas in the peripheral nervous system they can form ganglia. Beyond neurons, somatic cells in other tissues also have identifiable cell bodies that contain their nuclei and essential organelles, though the term soma is most often encountered in neuroanatomy.

In scientific literature, somata (or somata) is a standard plural form; somata is preferred in more formal usage, while somas is also widely understood in English.