No movement without motor nerve cells

Nerve cells or neurons are cells that you need for example when picking up a pen or in the reaction to contact with a hot or cold object etc. There are three types of nerve cells: sensory, motor and relay nerve cells.

Sensory nerve cells can be found throughout the body. The sensory nerve cells are the cells that collect information, e.g. if something hurts or feels hot or cold etc. The sensory nerve cells send this information to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) where it is processed.

Motor nerve cells are the cells that use the processed information from the central nervous system. The cell bodies of motor neurons are usually located in the central nervous system The cell has several short dendrites and one long axon. The axons of these cell bodies excite specific muscle fibers. When motor commands from the central nervous system excite motor nerve cell bodies, action signals travel along the motor axons finally to the muscle fibers. The motor nerve cell thus regulates the functioning of muscles. For example, moving your arm when you touch a hot or cold object. Your sensory nerve cell registers that you have come into contact with such an object and sends an impulse to the central nervous system which then sends an impulse to the motor nerve cells with the task of pulling your arm away.

Relay nerve cells are cells that can only be found in the central nervous system. These nerve cells assist in the impulse transfer from sensory to motor nerve cell.