In the image, the arrow marks the cell body of which neuron type?

In the image, the arrow marks the cell body of which neuron type?

• A. Pseudounipolar neuron
• B. Motor neuron
• C. Sensory neuron
• D. Bipolar neuron

Answer: (A)

The mark points to a neuron whose cell body sits in a ganglion and has a single process that quickly divides into a peripheral and a central branch. This is the characteristic appearance of a pseudounipolar neuron, a type of sensory neuron commonly found in dorsal root ganglia. In histology, you’d see the soma off to the side with one initial process that splits, rather than a soma with multiple dendrites radiating out (multipolar) or two processes arising directly from the soma (bipolar). So the cell body shown best fits a pseudounipolar neuron.

The mark points to a neuron whose cell body sits in a ganglion and has a single process that quickly divides into a peripheral and a central branch. This is the characteristic appearance of a pseudounipolar neuron, a type of sensory neuron commonly found in dorsal root ganglia. In histology, you’d see the soma off to the side with one initial process that splits, rather than a soma with multiple dendrites radiating out (multipolar) or two processes arising directly from the soma (bipolar). So the cell body shown best fits a pseudounipolar neuron.