What is the basic unit of the nervous system, easily damaged by toxins and lack of oxygen?

What is the basic unit of the nervous system, easily damaged by toxins and lack of oxygen?

• A. Nerve cell
• B. Dendrites
• C. Nucleus
• D. Axon

Answer: (A)

The basic unit that carries out the nervous system’s function is the neuron, or nerve cell. Neurons are the specialized cells that generate and transmit nerve impulses, linking with other neurons and with muscles to control sensation, movement, and reflexes. They have a high metabolic rate and depend on a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients; toxins can disrupt their membranes, neurotransmitter release, or ion balance, and lack of oxygen quickly damages their function. This combination makes neurons particularly vulnerable to toxins and hypoxia. Dendrites are the receiving branches of a neuron, not the whole unit; the nucleus is just an internal part of the cell; the axon is the long projection that carries impulses away, but it is not the unit itself.

The basic unit that carries out the nervous system’s function is the neuron, or nerve cell. Neurons are the specialized cells that generate and transmit nerve impulses, linking with other neurons and with muscles to control sensation, movement, and reflexes. They have a high metabolic rate and depend on a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients; toxins can disrupt their membranes, neurotransmitter release, or ion balance, and lack of oxygen quickly damages their function. This combination makes neurons particularly vulnerable to toxins and hypoxia. Dendrites are the receiving branches of a neuron, not the whole unit; the nucleus is just an internal part of the cell; the axon is the long projection that carries impulses away, but it is not the unit itself.