Pyramidal neurons of the cortex cerebri (400X)

Pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex. Image copyright: University of Oslo, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Pyramidal cells, or pyramidal neurons, are a type of multipolar neuron found in areas of the brain including the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala. One of the main structural features of the pyramidal neuron is the conic shaped cell body, after which the neuron is named. Pyramidal neurons are the primary excitation units of the mammalian prefrontal cortex and the corticospinal tract.

The length of a single dendrite of a pyramidal cell is usually several hundred micrometers as seen in this image. Due to branching, the total dendritic length of a pyramidal cell may reach several centimeters.

Published August 19th 2022, updated August 3rd 2023.