Neuron from a crab showing the cell body (bottom), axon (rope-like extension), and growth cone (top right). A neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information through electrical and chemical signals. Neurons are the core components of the nervous system. The soma is the bulbous end of a neuron, containing the cell nucleus. The soma of a neuron is often called the cell body. An axon also known as a nerve fibre; is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that typically conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body. The function of the axon is to transmit information to different neurons, muscles and glands. A growth cone is a dynamic, actin-supported extension of a developing neurite seeking its synaptic target. Neuronal growth cones are situated on the very tips of nerve cells on structures called axons and dendrites. The sensory, motor, integrative, and adaptive functions of growing axons and dendrites are all contained within this specialized structure.