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cell body
noun
: the nucleus-containing central part of a neuron exclusive of its axons and dendrites that is the major structural element of the gray matter of the brain and spinal cord, the ganglia, and the retina see neuron illustration
Examples of cell body in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fascinatingly, a neuron’s cell body can measure a tenth of a millimeter across, while its axons can stretch more than 3 feet in length, as in the leg’s sciatic nerve.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2024
When neurons fire, action potentials – brief, high-voltage spikes traveling outward from their cell bodies – set up local electrical activity in other neurons, causing current to flow within and outside them.
—Giridhar Kalamangalam, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
To visualize the elements that make up neurons—axons, dendrites, and cell bodies—Seung and Berger used a computer to draw 3-D surfaces around the neural structures found in the cube.
—Danielle Egan, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Vaibhav Deshmukh Motor neurons grown in microfluidic device for separation of cell bodies (top) and axons (bottom).
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2023
This structure gave cells ready access to the gel’s nutrients while mimicking alternating between gray and white matter in the cortex, where gray matter contains neuron cell bodies and white matter contains the long axons connecting them.
—WIRED, 3 Oct. 2023
Among neurons, in contrast, the fusion happened farther away from the cell body, at long, thin extensions known as dendrites and axons, which are critical for cell-cell communication.
—Byclaudia Lopez Lloreda, science.org, 7 June 2023
When lung cells fused, only the main parts of the cell body connected to each other.
—Byclaudia Lopez Lloreda, science.org, 7 June 2023
Connected to the cell body is the axon.
—Gabriel A. Silva, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cell body.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1878, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near cell body
Cite this Entry
“Cell body.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cell%20body. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
cell body
noun
: the central part of a neuron that includes the nucleus but not the axons and dendrites
Medical Definition
cell body
noun
: the nucleus-containing central part of a neuron exclusive of its axons and dendrites that is the major structural element of the gray matter of the brain and spinal cord, the ganglia, and the retina
called also perikaryon, soma
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