The illustration shows a multipolar nerve cell (neuron). They generally consist of dendrite, perikaryon, and axon. Dendrites (gr. dendros = tree) receive stimuli by a preceding nerve cell and are shown in the upper third of the image. The perikaryon (cell body) is the contact point for dendrites and origin of the axon. It contains organelles and the nucleus. The lower half of the picture shows the axon with its ramifications. It forwards the stimulus to the next nerve cell. The myelin sheath (Schwann cells) surrounds the axon in ordert to isolate it, which increases the nerve conduction velocity. There are Ranvier`s nodes between the myelinated parts of the axon.
