Length of Nerve Cell

The most elongated cell in the human body is the neuron. Neurons are cells of the nervous system that progresses and communicates data throughout the body.

Each nerve cell comprises the cell body, which contains the nucleus, the main dividing fiber, called the axon, and several smaller dividing fibers called the dendrites.
 The longest nerve cell in the human body has only one axon which is the thread-like extension, a few micrometers in length, that ranges from the base of the vertebral column to the end at the foot, and covers a length of up to one meter.

Nerve cells are elongated and have divisions because they require more surface area to transmit the signals to different cells with the help of the nervous system. The structure of these divisions helps them to accept and send messages, which helps to regulate and manage the function of various parts of the body.

Nerve Cell

A neuron or nerve cell is an electrically charged volatile cell that interconnects with other cells using specific networks called synapses. The neuron is the key constituent of the nervous system in all living creatures except sponges and placozoa. Nerve cells are absent in plants and fungi.

Neurons are the principal mechanisms of the nervous system, in addition to the glial cells that give them physical and metabolic support. The nervous system is composed of the central nervous system, which covers the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, which covers the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. Among vertebrates, most of the neurons belong to the central nervous system, but some exist in the peripheral ganglia, and several sensory neurons are located in sensory organs such as the retina and cochlea.

Neurons are highly specific for the processing and spreading of indications of the cells. Assuming the variety of activities performed in various parts of the nervous system, there is an extensive variety in their form, dimensions, and electrochemical belongings.

Structure of A Nerve Cell

Neurons differ in extent, shape, and structure based on their location and function. However, approximately all nerve cells have three important parts, namely a cell body, an axon, and dendrites.

Cell body

A cell body is also identified as soma. The cell body is the central part of the neuron. The cell body comprises information of the genes, keeps the structure of the neuron, and delivers energy to perform activities.

Like other cell bodies, the soma of a neuron comprises a nucleus and specific organelles. It is bounded by a membrane that provides it shields and permits it to cooperate with its instant surroundings.

Axon

An axon is an elongated, tail-like structure. It connects the cell body at a particular intersection called the axon hillock. Many axons are protected with a fatty material called myelin. Myelin supports axons to take an electrical signal. Neurons generally have one key axon.

Dendrites

Dendrites are fibrous roots that are divided out from the cell body. Dendrites collect and process indications from the axons of other neurons. Neurons can have various sets of dendrites and are thereby called dendritic trees.

The number of dendrites depends on the role of the neuron. For example, Purkinje cells are a distinct type of neuron that originates in a portion of the brain called the cerebellum. These cells have highly advanced dendritic trees which permit them to collect thousands of indications.

Length of A Nerve Cell

The dimensions of axons and dendrites in the central nervous system are naturally only about one micrometer thick, while certain axons and dendrites in the peripheral nervous system are much thicker. The cell body is generally about 10–25 micrometers in length and often is not much bigger than the nucleus it contains in the cell. The lengthiest axon of a human motor neuron can be more than a meter in length, extending from the base of the backbone to the feet.

Sensory neurons can have axons that extend from the feet to the posterior column of the spinal cord. It is more than 1.5 meters tall for grown-up human beings. Giraffes have only one axon, which is several meters in length extending along the whole length of their necks.

Lifespan of a Nerve Cell

Neurons do not have a secured lifecycle. They may continue to live forever. It is the human body that holds them that die. If neurons are put in a human body that tends to live longer, they live as long as the new body permits them to. 

Mostly the nerve cells in our central nervous system that is in our brain, spinal cord, and body exist for a lifetime. A very few nerve cells, in a few places, start to exist after phases of months or years. Other than those exceptions, new neurons do not come to life after the birth of a human.

Pruning is the early loss of neurons throughout our lives, particularly during our young age. It is a significant part of the training for maturity.

Injured neurons can regrow. If an injury has occurred to the arm and loses sense because of that, there is a reasonable possibility that the neurons injured will grow back and reestablish sensation. But a serious injury to the brain and spinal cord cannot be fixed with existing medical dealing. Scientists are expected to find out techniques to regrow these seriously damaged neurons.

This incapacity to grow neurons puts a maximum limit on the survival of human beings. Older people have considerably fewer nerve cells than younger grown-ups. 

Functions of Nervous System

The nerve cells perform a lot of functions. The main function of the nerve cell is to send and collect messages from the entire human body. However, there are some other functions that the nerve cells perform. Some of which are:

• It helps the body to react to the activities surrounding it.
• It assists the body in performing various metabolic activities smoothly.
• It supports both the movement of the human body parts, both voluntary and involuntary.
• It benefits the transmission of messages between the central nervous system and the remaining body parts by allowing the smooth transfer of messages.

Conclusion

Each nerve cell comprises the cell body, which contains the nucleus, the main dividing fiber, called the axon, and several smaller dividing fibers called the dendrites. Nerve cells are elongated and have divisions because they require more surface area to transmit the signals to different cells with the help of the nervous system.

The main function of the nerve cell is to send and collect messages from the entire human body. Neurons do not have a secured lifecycle. They may continue to live forever. It is the human body that holds them that die. Neurons are highly specific for the processing and spreading of indications of the cells. It also supports willful and reflex movements of the human body parts.