Taugafrumna

Taugafrumna are the basic functional units of the nervous system, responsible for processing and transmitting information. They convert chemical and electrical signals into electrical impulses that travel along axons and across synapses to other neurons or to muscles and glands.

They consist of a cell body (soma), dendrites that receive inputs, and a long axon that conducts action potentials to synapses. The axon often has myelin sheaths produced by glial cells, which speed up signal transmission. At the ends of axons are synaptic terminals where neurotransmitters are released to influence the next cell.

There are several functional classes: sensory neurons that carry signals from sensory receptors to the brain, motor neurons that convey commands to muscles or glands, and interneurons that connect neurons within the brain and spinal cord. Neurons communicate primarily by action potentials and synaptic transmission. An action potential is an all-or-nothing electrical impulse generated when a neuron's membrane reaches threshold, driven by ion channels. When it reaches a synapse, neurotransmitters released from the presynaptic neuron bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, modulating its activity.

Neurons exhibit plasticity, adjusting their connections and strengths in response to activity, which underpins learning and memory. Developmentally, neurons originate from neural progenitor cells; in the central nervous system injuries can be difficult to repair, while peripheral nerves have greater regenerative capacity.