What carries action potential in neurons?

The axon is the part of a neuron that is responsible for carrying action potentials away from the neuron's cell body. It is a long, slender projection that conducts electrical impulses known as action potentials, which are rapid changes in the membrane potential. When a neuron is stimulated, an action potential is generated and travels along the axon's membrane to the axon terminals, where it can trigger the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse.

Dendrites, on the other hand, receive signals from other neurons but do not carry action potentials; instead, they transmit graded potentials to the cell body. The synapse is the junction between two neurons where communication occurs, typically through the release of neurotransmitters, but it does not conduct action potentials itself. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that facilitate communication across the synapse but do not carry electrical signals down the neuron. Thus, when it comes to the transmission of action potentials, the axon is the critical component of the neuron that performs this function.