Which part of a neuron is primarily responsible for receiving signals from other neurons?

• A. Dendrites
• B. Neuron
• C. Nucleus
• D. Muscle fiber

Answer: (A)

Dendrites are the parts that receive signals from other neurons. They branch out to contact many other neurons at synapses, and their membranes have receptor proteins that detect neurotransmitters released by those neighbors. When neurotransmitters bind, ion channels open and small electrical changes occur in the dendrite. These signals travel toward the cell body, where they are integrated to determine if the neuron should fire an action potential. The other options don’t perform this input role: a neuron is the whole cell, the nucleus houses genetic material, and a muscle fiber is an effector tissue that responds to neural signals rather than receiving them. So the dendrites are the structures specialized for receiving incoming information.