Draw the structure of a neuron and explain how an impulse passes from one neuron to the next.

1. 1 · Define in one line. A neuron is a nerve cell, the structural and functional unit of the nervous system.
2. 2 · Trace the impulse. Dendrite → cell body → axon → nerve ending, as an electrical impulse.
3. 3 · Explain the synapse. At the axon end, chemicals are released; they cross the synapse and start an impulse in the next neuron's dendrite.
4. 4 · Draw the neuron. [Diagram: dendrites, cell body, nucleus, axon, nerve endings, arrow for the impulse]
5. 5 · Link to daily life. This is how the smell of food reaches your brain in a fraction of a second.
6. 6 · Close in one line. So electrical impulses inside neurons and chemicals between them carry every message.

Scoring tip: Draw the arrow that shows the direction of the impulse; many students lose a mark by leaving it out.