Dendrite

A dendrite is a complex branched formation that appears during the transmission of a nerve impulse along a neuron. The propagation of neuroimpulses is called neural activity and plays a key role in the processing and transmission of information in our brain. In particular, dendrites perform two main functions: they receive nerve impulses from the axons of other neurons, amplify them, and transmit them further along the neural network.

Typically, one neuron consists of a single axon that exits the cell in the opposite direction. However, some neurons have many dendrites, which help them process more information.

Dendrite means "tree" in Greek. The word was originally used to refer to the many branches of trees, but then came to be applied to nerve cells. Dendrites are microscopic tubes filled with neurons. Each dendrite branch resembles a small branch with many small channels.

The first theory about the structure of dendrin appeared in the 16th century. However, truly theoretical research began only with the beginning of Pasteur's work. The first conclusions about the mechanism of transmission of nervous excitation in nerve cells were made in the 70s of the 19th century. Further study of the structure and properties of dendrites was carried out throughout the 20th century.

Neurons are considered to be “information converters.” This means that they do not perceive it directly, but rather process and interpret it. Dendrites, of which there are a lot in the cerebral cortex, have two main tasks: