Asked by hi

A patient's nerve cells show extremely long extensions that stretch from the spinal cord to distant muscles. These cells have extensive transport systems for moving materials along their length. Why is this specialization necessary?
Question 1 options:

Long nerve cells need multiple nuclei to control all their functions

Longer cells can store more energy for rapid nerve signal transmission

Extended cells are more resistant to damage from injury or disease

Materials produced in the cell body must be transported over very long distances

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Materials produced in the cell body must be transported over very long distances.

Explanation: Axons and synaptic terminals generally lack the machinery for protein synthesis, so proteins, organelles (e.g., mitochondria), and vesicles made in the soma must be moved along microtubule tracks by motor proteins (kinesin/dynein) to sustain and repair distant parts of the neuron.