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Neurons: The Axon

Neurons: The Axon

Axons are long, cytoplasmic processes of nerve cells capable of propagating electrical impulses known as action potentials. The cytoplasm or axoplasm of an axon contains neurofibrils, neurotubules, small vesicles, lysosomes, mitochondria, and various enzymes, all encased within the axolemma, the plasma membrane of the axon.
The axon attaches to the cell body at a cone-shaped elevation called the axon hillock. The initial part of the axon, closest to the hillock, is known as the initial segment.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Morphological Analysis of Drosophila Larval Peripheral Sensory Neuron Dendrites and Axons Using Genetic Mosaics

Morphological Analysis of Drosophila Larval Peripheral Sensory Neuron Dendrites and Axons Using Genetic Mosaics

Published on: November 7, 2011

From neural arbors to daisies.

Dylan R Muir¹, Rodney J Douglas

¹Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland. dylan@ini.phys.ethz.ch

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)

|October 2, 2010

Summary

The superficial patch system, a network of pyramidal neurons in the neocortex, requires population-level information for development. Individual neuron properties alone cannot explain the formation of these long-range axonal projections.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

Pyramidal neurons in cortical layers 2 and 3 form a superficial patch system of long-range axonal projections.
This system exhibits area-specific patterns but is conserved across many mammalian cortical areas.
The developmental rules governing the collective formation of these axonal arbors are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the developmental rules governing the formation of the superficial patch system.
To determine whether intrinsic neuronal properties or population-level information drives the collective organization of axonal arbors.

Main Methods:

Generation of computational models simulating clustered axonal arbors based on geometric patterns.
Comparison of model outputs with observed cortical labeling patterns.

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Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

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Testing models with independent arbor formation versus models incorporating distributed information across the cortical sheet.

Main Results:

Models with independent axonal arbor formation failed to replicate observed patchy labeling patterns.
A model utilizing distributed information across the cortical sheet successfully reproduced key features of cortical labeling patterns.
This suggests that local, intrinsic information is insufficient for forming the patch system.

Conclusions:

The formation of the superficial patch system cannot be explained solely by information intrinsic to individual neurons.
Development of the patch system requires information shared across the population of projecting neurons.
Population-level coordination is essential for achieving the adult state of the superficial patch system.