Terminal Branches

Definition

Terminal branches are the tiny, tree-like ends of a neuron that send messages to other neurons.

Analogy

Think of terminal branches like the postal workers of your brain. They deliver messages (neurotransmitters) from one house (neuron) to another. Just as a postal worker delivers mail from one location to another, terminal branches transmit information between neurons.

Related terms

Axon: This is the long threadlike part of a nerve cell along which impulses are conducted from the cell body to other cells.

Dendrites: These are short branched extensions of a nerve cell, along which impulses received from other cells at synapses are transmitted to the cell body.

Synapse: This is the junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.