IUBio

neuron without dendrite

r norman rsn_ at _comcast.net
Thu Feb 19 18:37:15 EST 2004


On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 16:18:14 +0000, Xiaoshen Li <xli6 at gmu.edu> wrote:

>Hi:
>
>Recently a lot of studies have focused on the dendritic tree of neuron. 
>More and more knowledge is getting regarding its function. However, not 
>every neuron has a dendrite. My impression (I maybe wrong) is that 
>unipolar neuron and bipolar neuron do not have dendrite. (Multipolar 
>neuron is the neuron which has dendrite and is the typical neuron).
>
>I am curious how those neurons without dendrite get around those 
>important "dendrite functions". Could anybody give me more information?
>
>Thank you very much.

Dendrites do not have to originate on the cell body.  Invertebrate
neurons are typically unipolar with the cell body stuck off to the
side somewhere.  Still, there is a branching pattern of dendrites that
function just the same as do those in a multipolar neuron.  The only
difference is the location of the soma.

Google on "unipolar neuron" to see pictures.  For example
  http://www.psyweb.com/Physiological/Neurons/unineuron.html





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