DENDRITIC PROCESS Meaning and
Definition
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A dendritic process refers to the branched extension found on neurons that receives and integrates signals from other neurons. Neurons are the fundamental building blocks of the nervous system and are responsible for transmitting and processing information in the form of electrical impulses. The dendritic process serves as the primary site for receiving incoming signals from other neurons.
The word "dendritic" is derived from the Greek word "dendron," meaning tree-like, which accurately describes the intricate branching structure of these processes. The branches of the dendritic process provide an expansive surface area, allowing for a large number of connections with other neurons.
When an electrical signal, called an action potential, is generated in another neuron, it travels along its axon and reaches the dendritic processes of neighboring neurons. The dendritic process then receives these signals through specialized structures called dendritic spines. These spines contain receptors that detect and bind to specific neurotransmitters released by the sending neuron.
Upon receiving these signals, the dendritic process integrates the information and determines whether or not to generate an action potential of its own. This integration process involves summation of inputs from multiple dendritic spines, with excitatory signals having a depolarizing effect and inhibitory signals having a hyperpolarizing effect.
The role of dendritic processes is vital for information processing in the nervous system. Their ability to receive and integrate signals from numerous sources allows neurons to perform complex computations and make decisions based on the input received.
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A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for DENDRITIC PROCESS
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Etymology of DENDRITIC PROCESS
The word dendritic originates from the Greek word dendron, meaning tree. In biology, dendritic processes refer to the highly branched extensions from the cell body of a neuron that receive signals from other neurons. These structures resemble the branches of a tree, hence the use of the term dendritic.
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