University of Central Florida (UCF) BSC1005 Biological Principles Practice Exam 3

The axon is the structure responsible for transmitting signals from the integration centers in the central nervous system (CNS) to effector cells, such as muscles or glands. When a neuron receives sufficient stimulation, an action potential is generated and travels down the axon. This is critical for communication within the nervous system, as it allows for the immediate relay of information necessary for responses to stimuli. At the axon terminals, neurotransmitters are released into synapses to communicate with neighboring cells.

Dendrites, on the other hand, primarily function to receive signals from other neurons and relay that information to the cell body, while synapses are the junctions where communication occurs between neurons. Receptors are structures that detect signals, usually from the environment, and convert them into a form that can be processed by the nervous system. Thus, the axon is distinctively specialized for the transmission of signals away from the integration centers to target effector cells.