Which part of the neuron is primarily responsible for receiving signals from other neurons?

The part of the neuron that is primarily responsible for receiving signals from other neurons is the dendrites. Dendrites are tree-like structures that extend from the neuron's cell body and are equipped with receptor sites that are sensitive to neurotransmitters released by neighboring neurons. When these neurotransmitters bind to the receptors on the dendrites, they generate electrical signals that can travel towards the cell body, ultimately influencing whether the neuron will fire an action potential.

The axon serves a different purpose; it transmits electrical signals away from the cell body to other neurons or muscles across a synapse. The cell body, also known as the soma, contains the nucleus and is responsible for maintaining the neuron's health and processing the signals received, but it does not directly receive signals itself. While “soma” refers to the main part of a neuron, it is essentially synonymous with the cell body, further emphasizing that the primary role of receiving signals lies with the dendrites.