The Cell Body
The cell body of a neuron is a ball-shaped structure about 0.025 millimetre wide. Each neuron cell body is a centre for receiving and sending nerve impulses. The cell body is also responsible for making proteins and using energy for the maintenance and growth of the nerve cell.
The vast majority of neuron cell bodies are within the central nervous system, where incoming messages are combined and outgoing messages are produced. The few neuron cell bodies outside the central nervous system are grouped into clusters called ganglia. The best-known ganglia are in the autonomic nervous system.
