Library / English Dictionary

NEURON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A cell that is specialized to conduct nerve impulses

Synonyms:

nerve cell; neuron

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("neuron" is a kind of...):

somatic cell; vegetative cell (any of the cells of a plant or animal except the reproductive cells; a cell that does not participate in the production of gametes)

Meronyms (parts of "neuron"):

axon; axone (long nerve fiber that conducts away from the cell body of the neuron)

dendrite (short fiber that conducts toward the cell body of the neuron)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "neuron"):

gangliocyte; ganglion cell (a nerve cell whose body is outside the central nervous system)

brain cell (a nerve cell in the brain)

efferent neuron; motoneuron; motor nerve fiber; motor neuron (a neuron conducting impulses outwards from the brain or spinal cord)

afferent neuron; sensory neuron (a neuron conducting impulses inwards to the brain or spinal cord)

Holonyms ("neuron" is a part of...):

nervous system; systema nervosum (the sensory and control apparatus consisting of a network of nerve cells)

Derivation:

neural; neuronal; neuronic (of or relating to neurons)

Credits

 Context examples: 

This allele, which encodes ALK tyrosine kinase receptor protein, plays a role in brain development and exerts its effects on specific neurons in the nervous system.

(ALK wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Furthermore, the results show that NM-MRI signal reflects concentrations of neuromelanin in tissue, rather than just the number of neuromelanin-containing neurons.

(Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI identified as a potential biomarker for psychosis, National Institutes of Health)

As the FUS protein condenses (from droplets to gel) it captures RNA and transfers it to remote parts of the neuron that are involved in making connections (known as synapses) with other neurons.

(Mechanism behind neuron death in motor neurone disease and frontotemporal dementia discovered, University of Cambridge)

This allele, which encodes necdin protein, is involved in suppression of cell growth in postmitotic neurons.

(NDN wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Collectively, these mechanisms (or a combination thereof) are predicted to disturb cellular homeostasis (within glial and/or motor neurons), ultimately triggering motor neuron death.

(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Motor neurons in the anterior (ventral) horn of the spinal cord which project to skeletal muscles.

(Anterior Horn Cell, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Atinumab binds to reticulon-4, stimulating neurite outgrowth, which may prevent neuronal damage or may facilitate the regeneration of damaged neurons.

(Atinumab, NCI Thesaurus)

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase is also used therapeutically to treat Alzheimer's disease, compensating for the loss of cholinergic neurons.

(Attenuation of GPCR Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

Motor neuron diseases are sometimes inherited.

(Motor neuron disease, NCI Dictionary)

Motor neuron and pancreas homeobox protein 1 (401 aa, ~41 kDa) is encoded by the human MNX1 gene.

(Motor Neuron and Pancreas Homeobox Protein 1, NCI Thesaurus)