Why are nerve cells so long?

Centre of the Cell Science Lab explains that nerve cells in the body can reach up to 40 inches in length. Nerve cells in the brain are much shorter but have many branching pathways that also allow them to cover a lot of area. According to Brown University, the unique shape of nerve cells plays a role in their inability to reproduce. read more

It is long so it can connect with other nerve cells from a distance and it is branched so that it can create connections (synapses) with multiple different nerve cells at the same time. read more

Nerve cells have to be long enough to extend from where they are located in the body, the hands and feet for example, to the spinal chord or brain. Some nerve cells in a giraffe may be ten feet long. Others may be very short. read more