Soma (biology)
（重定向自Somata）
![At one end of an elongated structure is a branching mass. At the centre of this mass is the nucleus and the branches are dendrites. A thick axon trails away from the mass, ending with further branching which are labeled as axon terminals. Along the axon are a number of protuberances labeled as myelin sheaths.](/Images/godic/202502/12/Neuron_Hand-tuned.svg1139.png")
![Animation in the reference.](/Images/godic/202502/12/Neuron_Cell_Body1139.png")
The soma (pl. somata or somas), perikaryon (pl. perikarya), cyton, or "cell body" is the bulbous end of a neuron, containing the cell nucleus. The word "soma" comes from the Greek σῶμα, meaning "body". There are many different specialized types of neurons, and their sizes vary from as small as about 5 micrometres to over 10 millimetre for some of the smallest and largest neurons of invertebrates, respectively.