But, they have many shape variations that undoubtedly have complex different mechanisms.

Most spines have a bulbous head and thin neck connecting to the shaft of the dendrite. The dendritic spine is a protrusion from the dendrite that receives input from an axon. Two neurons might use the same information in different ways.ĭendrites are the out pouching areas of the neuron that connect with an axon and form a synapse. Factors that affect decisions include spatial arrangements of the connections on dendrite spines, and the strength and rates of the electrical pulses sent from the neuron. The analysis of this massive amount of information is done in the dendrite, before determining what information will go forward to the next synapse. The dendrite determines much of what will be sent along this vast axon.ĭendrites can have inputs from up to 100,000 different neurons. This is equivalent in scale to a human walking the wall of China. Despite the small size of cells and even smaller dendrites, axons from one neuron can be several feet long from the spinal cord to the toe. Likewise, the dendrite and dendrite spine are tiny parts of the neuron. DendritesĬonsidering relative size, a cell is smaller in comparison with the body, than a human is to Mt. Recently, some of the vast complexity of dendrite function has been discovered. Dendrites are involved in determining what will occur along the axon. Dendrites are a gate that information flows through from other neurons in the circuit. Rapid determinations are made by the complex dendrite structures-mind interacting with dendrites.ĭendrites are a unique compartment within the cell in interaction with the cell body and axon. And then the dendrite must make meaningful sense of the data-in some way compute the information coming in to send to the next neuron. The dendrite shape is regulated by very elaborate actin scaffolding structures that constantly and rapidly change. Three-dimensional spatial arrangements of synapses are particularly important.Ī large number of special molecules regulate the flow of information into the dendrite. Each restricts electricity in different ways. Unique spacing and shapes of dendrite spines-thin, stubby, mushroom-determine where axons will connect and how the pre and postsynaptic neurons will work together.

Neuroplasticity in all of its forms is based on altering and modulating the action of dendrites. All mental processes critically depend on extremely active dendrites that receive messages from other neurons and process information.

Dendrite function