What are axons and dendrites, and how are they different?

Dendrites are long branching tendrils emanating from the cell body that are loaded with receptors. With the help of synaptic connections, incoming information is received by these receptors. Neurons do not multiply, but they die off like any other type of cell. Neural function and the ever-growing amount of stored information (memory) are maintained because neurons continue to grow throughout a person’s life. In particular, the cell generates new dendrites, and the existing ones become longer and branch out. This dendritic branching allows an increasing number of connections to be made. The result is a complex interconnected network.

An axon is a structure that carries a nerve impulse that leads to the output of information. Upon initiation, the neural impulse travels along the axon to terminal buttons (end lamps), where synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters into the synapse, resulting in information being transmitted to other cells.