Motor Neuron (Noun)
Meaning
A neuron conducting impulses outwards from the brain or spinal cord.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- Motor neurons transmit signals from the central nervous system to muscles and glands, allowing for voluntary movement and other bodily functions.
- Damage to motor neurons can result in paralysis or muscle weakness, as seen in diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- The motor neuron is responsible for carrying the electrical impulse from the spinal cord to the muscle, causing it to contract and move.
- In the spinal cord, motor neurons are located in the anterior horn and send axons out to the muscles to stimulate movement.
- The degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy.