Biological Bases of Behavior

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Neuron

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It is a cell that takes information by receiving it, processing it, and then sending it off (delivering) it to other cells within the body. It is also referred to as a nerve cell and many of them together form nerves.

A neuron receives information, processes it, and then sends it off to other cells in the body.

Sensory Neuron

It is sometimes called an afferent neuron. It is a nerve cell that takes and moves messages from sense receptors and moves them towards the the central nervous system. It acts like a one-way street that only moves toward the brain. It is responsible for your experiences with your senses.

Sensory neurons carry information from sense receptors toward the central nervous system.

Motor Neuron

It is a nerve cell that moves information out of and away from the brain and central nervous system. It moves messages toward the muscles and glands. It is also referred to as the efferent neurons.

Motor neurons move away from the central nervous system and towards glands, organs, and muscles.

Interneuron

It is a nerve cell that relays information from sensory neurons to motor neurons or to other interneurons. This is usually done in complex pathways, it is usually done in the spinal cord and/or the brain. The brain itself is made mostly of these paths of billions of these.

Interneurons relay information from sensory neurons to either motor neurons or other interneurons.

Dendrites

They are finely branches kinds of fibers that extend out from or away from the cell body. They act in a similar way as a net would since they collect information from other neuron activity near them or from direct stimulus, such as light, sound, and pressure. They come from the main cell body and move their messages into the neuron.

Dendrites collect messages from direct stimulus or other nearby neuron activity.