Nerve cells. Light micrograph of nerve cells (neurones) from the cerebral cortex of the brain. These cells are from the hippocampus, part of the cerebral cortex concerned with memory. The hippocampus is rich in pyramidal cells such as these, which have numerous dendrites (right) trailing from one end of their cell body (dark areas) and one axon projecting from the other (left). Dendrites form junctions communicating with other cells, and signals are then relayed through the cell's axon.