Dendrite

"Dendritic branch" redirects here. For the dendritic cell of the immune system, see Dendritic cell.

This article is about neuronal dendrites in biology. For other uses, see Dendrite (disambiguation).

Dendrite
Identifiers
MeSH	D003712
FMA	67314
Anatomical terminology

The neuron contains dendrites that receive information, a cell body called the soma, and an axon that sends information to other cells through the synapses. Schwann cells make the signals (action potentials) move faster down the axon. The dendrites of a neighboring neuron are shown in blue.

A dendrite (from Greek δένδρον déndron, "tree") or dendron is a branched cytoplasmic process extending from a nerve cell; it propagates the electrochemical stimulation received from other neural cells to the cell body, or soma, of the neuron from which the dendrites project. Electrical stimulation is transmitted onto dendrites by upstream neurons (usually via their axons) via synapses which are located at various points throughout the dendritic tree.

Dendrites play a critical role in integrating these synaptic inputs and in determining the extent to which action potentials are produced by the neuron.