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Nerve cells, illustration. A neuron, or a nerve cell, is a structural and functional unit of nervous system. Through electrical and chemical signals it can process, store and transmit information throughout the body. The cell usually consists of the cell body (soma) and projections (axons and dendrites). Axons are slender extensions which transmit signals, and dendrites (dendrons) are usually branched protoplasmic extensions which propagate received stimulation. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/ELLA MARU STUDIO / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)