A '''neuron''' or nerve cell is the functional cellular unit of the [[nervous system]], along with the [[glia]] cell it makes up all [[nervous tissue]]. Neurons are cells that can propagate an electrical signal across the cellular membrane. The cell is divided into three major parts the [[dendrites]], [[soma]] or cell body, and the [[axon]]. The archetypal neuron receives input at the tips of the dendrites, integrates that information at the cell body and outputs a signal along the axon. However, there significant variation in cellular architecture and function across the animal kingdom. ==References== * Martin, JH (2003). Neuroanatomy text and atlas 3rd ed., New York: McGraw-Hill. * Kandel, ER; Schwartz JH, Jessell TM (2000). Principles of Neural Science, 4th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-8385-7701-6.