Dendrite

A branched projection of a neuron that receives signals from other cells and carries them toward the cell body. Its branching structure lets a neuron receive inputs across many synapses.

Dendritic integration: The process by which a neuron combines inputs arriving at different synapses and times. It describes how dendrites combine incoming signals before they influence the cell body.
Neuron: An electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information through synaptic and electrical signals. A dendrite is one of the specialized structural compartments of a neuron.
Synaptic plasticity: A lasting change in the strength or efficacy of communication at a synapse. Changes at dendritic synapses can alter how strongly particular inputs affect a neuron.
Axon: A neuronal projection that carries action potentials away from the cell body toward other cells. Axons typically transmit a neuron's output, whereas dendrites chiefly receive synaptic input.
Excitatory postsynaptic potential: A brief postsynaptic voltage change that makes a neuron more likely to fire an action potential. Excitatory synapses on dendrites produce local voltage changes that can spread toward the cell body.
Synapse: A junction where one cell communicates with another through chemical or electrical signals. Synapses on dendrites provide the incoming signals that dendrites receive.
Long-term potentiation: A persistent increase in synaptic strength following particular patterns of neuronal activity. It is a well-studied form of plasticity at excitatory synapses, many of which contact dendrites.
Axon hillock: The region where a neuron's cell body narrows into its axon, often the site of action-potential initiation. It is a major integration and output boundary distinct from the dendritic input branches.
Inhibitory postsynaptic potential: A postsynaptic voltage change that reduces the likelihood of a neuron firing an action potential. Inhibitory inputs on dendrites can counteract excitation or regulate where signals are integrated.
Postsynaptic density: A protein-rich specialization beneath the postsynaptic membrane that organizes receptors and signaling proteins. At many dendritic synapses, this structure anchors the machinery that detects neurotransmitters.

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