Basis of differentiation | Sensory Neurons | Motor Neurons |
Definition | Are a type of neuron that transmits sensory impulses from sensory organs and receptors to the central nervous system | Are a type of neuron that transmit motor impulses from the central nervous system to different muscles and glands |
Location | Found in eyes, ears, skin, nose, and tongue | Found mainly in muscles and gland |
Morphology | Are unipolar | Are multipolar |
Axon length | Consist of a short axon | Consist of a long axon |
Presence of Receptor | Consist of a receptor | Receptor is absent |
Location of cell bodies | Cell bodies are located in specialized structures called ganglia, which are present outside the central nervous system | Cell bodies are typically located within the brainstem and the spinal cord inside the central nervous system |
Functions | Detect sensory stimuli from outside the body and transmit the stimuli to the central nervous system | Receive signals from the central nervous system and initiate appropriate muscle contractions or control involuntary functions |
Pathway | Follow the afferent pathway | Follow the efferent pathway |
Abundance in the human body | An adult has around 10 million sensory neurons in the body | Around half million of motor neurons are found in the body |