Axons

Formerly known as:  Neurits;  Neurites

Axons are a component of Neurons that consists of an elongated fiber that varies in length from a few millimeters to as long as 1 meter (in the case of Axons that run from the Motor Neurons of the Spinal Cord to the Muscles that they innervate).  Usually only one Axon emerges from each Soma, however it may have many side branches that conduct Nerve Impulses to hundreds or thousands of other Neurons (resulting in Divergence of Information).  Most Axons are covered with a Myelin Sheath.

Nervous System

 The Axon is specialized solely for the reliable conduction of Nerve Impulses.

 Axons transmit Nerve Impulses from the Soma (cell body of a Neuron) to other Neurons or to Muscles, Organs or Glands of the body.

 Axons normally conduct Nerve Impulses in one direction only - from the Soma down the Axon to a microspace called a Synapse.

 Neurotransmitters are released from the Presynaptic Membrane of the Synaptic Terminal of  across Synapses (Synaptic Clefts) and are then received by and bind to Receptors specific to each type of Neurotransmitter on the Dendrites of other Neurons.