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Article: Growth and Differentiation of the Nervous System
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- Animal Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Growth and Differentiation of the Nervous System
The nervous system is formed of specialized cells called neurons that use electrical and chemical signals to carry information to and away from the brain. Neurons contact each other, and other tissues, at a specialized region of the cell called a synapse. There, chemicals called neurotransmitters are released by one neuron and received by the other. Long, thin regions of the neuron that carry information from a distant location to the neuronal cell body are called axons and dendrites. Neurons connect to, or inner-vate, every type of tissue in the body, including bones, skin, organs, and muscles. The information they carry allows organisms ...