Dendrite

/ˌdɛnˈdraɪt/

IPA guide

Other forms: dendrites

In biology, a dendrite is a thin fiber that extends from a nerve cell. The job of a dendrite is to pass along electric signals it receives from other cells.

Cells that carry electrical signals or impulses are known as neurons, and the specialized branches on neurons that do the work of receiving and sending these signals are dendrites. Some cells have thousands of dendrites, and each carries a small electrical current when it's working. These fibers are often described as "branches," a reference to their structure — and in fact, the word dendrite comes from the Greek dendron, "tree."

Definitions of dendrite

noun
short fiber that conducts impulses toward the cell body of the neuron

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type of:
nerve fiber, nerve fibre
a threadlike extension of a nerve cell

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