Human Model, Nerve Cell

Quick Answer: The human model nerve cell is an enlarged model of a neuron, the cell that carries nerve impulses. It typically shows the cell body with its nucleus, branching dendrites, the axon with its myelin sheath and nodes, and the axon terminals, and is used to teach how nerve signals travel.

Parts of a Neuron

Real neurons are microscopic, and even a long axon is thinner than a hair, so a nerve cell model is enlarged many times. The version usually modelled is a motor neuron: a cell body containing the nucleus and the protein-making machinery, numerous short dendrites that receive signals from other neurons, and a single long axon that carries the impulse away. Multipolar neurons like this have many dendrites and one axon, and whether this model shows a motor neuron or another type should be confirmed.

Along the axon, Schwann cells wrap layers of membrane around it to form the myelin sheath, leaving small gaps called nodes of Ranvier. The impulse jumps from node to node, a process called saltatory conduction, which is much faster than conduction along an unmyelinated fibre. Loss of myelin, as in multiple sclerosis, slows or blocks these signals, a point that often comes up in nursing lessons.

At the end of the axon, the terminals form synapses with the next cell. When an impulse arrives, neurotransmitter molecules are released across the narrow synaptic gap and bind to receptors on the next neuron or on a muscle fibre. The model makes it easy to show the direction of travel, from dendrites to cell body to axon to terminals, and the nervous system poster connects the single cell to the whole system.

Specifications

Applications

• Teaching the structure of a neuron in secondary biology
• Explaining saltatory conduction and the role of myelin
• Introducing synapses and neurotransmitters
• Nursing lessons on conditions that affect myelinated nerves

Care & Handling

• Keep the nerve cell model on its board or base; the long dendrite and axon branches are the most fragile parts.
• Dust with a soft brush and wipe gently with a barely damp cloth.
• Store it flat or upright as designed, with nothing stacked on top.

Why Choose LabEquip

Biology teachers and nursing tutors use a neuron model to turn a textbook diagram into something students can point to and trace. LabEquip lists it with its biology lab products, and the animal and plant cell poster helps when comparing a neuron with a typical cell. Enquire through the LabEquip contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main parts of a nerve cell?

The cell body with its nucleus, dendrites that receive signals, a single axon that carries the impulse away, and axon terminals that pass the signal to the next cell.

What is the myelin sheath?

It is a fatty insulating layer wrapped around many axons, formed by Schwann cells outside the brain and spinal cord. It greatly speeds up the conduction of impulses.

What are nodes of Ranvier?

They are short gaps in the myelin sheath between Schwann cells. The impulse jumps from one node to the next, which is called saltatory conduction.

In which direction does a nerve impulse travel?

From the dendrites to the cell body, along the axon and out to the axon terminals. At the synapse the signal is passed on chemically in one direction only.

What happens at a synapse?

When an impulse reaches the axon terminal, neurotransmitter is released into the synaptic gap. It binds to receptors on the next cell and can trigger a new impulse there.

What is a multipolar neuron?

A neuron with one axon and many dendrites. Motor neurons and most neurons in the brain and spinal cord are of this type.

Last Updated: September 2026