Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Neuron Structure

Neuron Structure

Neurons are the main type of cell in the nervous system that generate and transmit electrochemical signals. They primarily communicate with each other using neurotransmitters at specific junctions called synapses. Neurons come in many shapes that often relate to their function, but most share three main structures: an axon and dendrites that extend out from a cell body.
Structure and Function of Neurons
The neuronal cell body—the soma— houses the nucleus and organelles vital to...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Four neurons pattern brain-wide developmental activity through neuropeptide signaling.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Systemic and ocular outcomes in patients with young-onset type 2 diabetes.

Journal of diabetes and its complications·2024

Same author

Control of social hierarchy beyond neurons.

Nature neuroscience·2023

Same author

CLSTN3β enforces adipocyte multilocularity to facilitate lipid utilization.

Nature·2022

Same author

FRET Imaging of Rho GTPase Activity with Red Fluorescent Protein-Based FRET Pairs.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2022

Same author

A discrete neuronal population coordinates brain-wide developmental activity.

Nature·2022

Same journal

The Ameliorative Effect of Spirulina platensis as Add-On Therapy to Risperidone on Valproic Acid-Induced Autism in Rat Pups: Implication of Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory, and ERK-1/2 Signaling Pathway.

Developmental neurobiology·2026

Same journal

From Behavioral and Sleep Disturbances to Genetic Diagnosis: Smith-Magenis Syndrome and the Importance of the Diagnostic Pathway.

Developmental neurobiology·2026

Same journal

Is There Any Difference in the Novel Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers of Adolescents With DMDD and Bipolar Disorder?

Developmental neurobiology·2026

Same journal

An Effective LRSF-DLNN-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Prediction Using EEG and fMRI.

Developmental neurobiology·2026

Same journal

Disrupted Vestibular Nuclei Neuron Development in a Chick Model for Congenital Vestibular Disorders.

Developmental neurobiology·2026

Same journal

Association Analysis Between HEI-2020 Index and Maternal Pregnancy Behaviors on ADHD in Adolescent Populations: A NHANES Cross-Sectional Study.

Developmental neurobiology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Analyzing the Size, Shape, and Directionality of Networks of Coupled Astrocytes

Analyzing the Size, Shape, and Directionality of Networks of Coupled Astrocytes

Published on: October 4, 2018

Developmental neural activity requires neuron-astrocyte interactions.

Bryce T Bajar¹, Nguyen T Phi², Harpreet Randhawa²

¹Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical Scientist Training Program, Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Developmental Neurobiology

|February 28, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Astrocytes are essential for developmental neural activity and synapse function during brain development in Drosophila. Neuron-glia interactions, specifically involving astrocytes, are crucial for establishing neural circuit assembly.

Keywords:

Drosophila astrocytes glia neural activity neural circuit development synapse formation

More Related Videos

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration

Published on: January 10, 2018

The Indirect Neuron-astrocyte Coculture Assay: An In Vitro Set-up for the Detailed Investigation of Neuron-glia Interactions

The Indirect Neuron-astrocyte Coculture Assay: An In Vitro Set-up for the Detailed Investigation of Neuron-glia Interactions

Published on: November 14, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Analyzing the Size, Shape, and Directionality of Networks of Coupled Astrocytes

Analyzing the Size, Shape, and Directionality of Networks of Coupled Astrocytes

Published on: October 4, 2018

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration

Published on: January 10, 2018

The Indirect Neuron-astrocyte Coculture Assay: An In Vitro Set-up for the Detailed Investigation of Neuron-glia Interactions

The Indirect Neuron-astrocyte Coculture Assay: An In Vitro Set-up for the Detailed Investigation of Neuron-glia Interactions

Published on: November 14, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

Developmental neural activity is critical for neural circuit assembly.
Glia play established roles in synapse development, but their contribution to developmental activity is understudied.
Neuron-glia interactions are increasingly recognized as vital for neural development.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of astrocytes in developmental neural activity during synaptogenesis in Drosophila.
To explore the contribution of neuron-glia interactions to developmental neural activity.
To elucidate the functional relationship between astrocytic calcium dynamics and neuronal activity.

Main Methods:

Wide-field epifluorescence and two-photon imaging were used to monitor intracellular calcium dynamics in glia.
Genetic ablation techniques were employed to assess the necessity of specific glial types (astrocytes, cortex, ensheathing glia) for neuronal activity.
Neuronal activity was inhibited to observe the impact on astrocyte calcium dynamics.

Main Results:

Central nervous system glia exhibit type-specific patterns of intracellular calcium dynamics during developmental activity.
Genetic ablation of astrocytes significantly attenuated neuronal activity, while ablation of other glia had no such effect.
Inhibition of neuronal activity led to the loss of astrocyte calcium dynamics, indicating a bidirectional relationship.
Astrocytic calcium dynamics can influence neuronal activity, though they are not strictly necessary for it.

Conclusions:

Astrocytes are necessary for developmental neural activity and synapse function during synaptogenesis in Drosophila.
Neuron-glia interactions, particularly those involving astrocytes, are crucial for the functional maturation of synapses during development.
This study highlights a previously underappreciated role for astrocytes in regulating the dynamic aspects of neural circuit assembly.