Which structure conducts electrical signals to other neurons or muscles?

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The axon is the structure responsible for conducting electrical signals away from the cell body of a neuron. It acts as a long, slender projection that transmits impulses to other neurons or muscles, allowing for communication throughout the nervous system. When an electrical signal, or action potential, travels down the axon, it reaches the axon terminals, where it can trigger the release of neurotransmitters that cross the synapse and influence other neurons or muscle cells.

In contrast, the cell body is mainly responsible for maintaining the cell's functions and processing information, not for transmitting signals. Dendrites receive signals from other neurons but do not conduct electrical impulses; instead, they serve as receptors for incoming information. The synapse, on the other hand, is the junction between two neurons where information transfer occurs, but it does not conduct electrical signals itself. Therefore, the axon is essential for the actual conduction of electrical signals to other nearby cells, making it the correct choice in this context.

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