The first section of the axon. The axon hillock is cone shaped leading into the axon. It is the integration area of the cell body, where the electrical information from the synapses gathers. If the electrical impulses are strong enough, then the axon hillock will reach threshold and release an action potential.

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There is a single axon for every neuron, which leads away from the cell body and acts as a conduction zone. It carries the cell's electrical sygnals to the next neurons, splitting into axon collaterals and axon terminals.

The Neuron Axon

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Axon Hillock

This is the process of moving materials from the cell body to the axons and dendrites, and from the axons to the cell body. This process involves the use of motor proteins which carry the materials up and down the cell. 

Axonal transport 

The myelin sheath is a fatty substance that often covers axons, acting as an insulator. This covering is crucial for increasing the speed at which neural impulses are transmitted along the axon.

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