Pyramidal cell

Pyramidal cell
A human neocortical pyramidal cell stained via Golgi's method. The apical dendrite extends vertically above the soma (cell body) and the numerous basal dendrites radiate laterally from the base of the cell body.
Details
Location	Layer III and layer V of the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus, and amygdala
Shape	Multipolar pyramidal
Function	Excitatory projection neuron
Neurotransmitter	Glutamate
Identifiers
MeSH	D017966
NeuroLex ID	sao862606388
TH	H1.00.01.0.00044
FMA	84105
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy [edit on Wikidata]

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. Pyramidal cells are the primary excitation units of the mammalian prefrontal cortex and the corticospinal tract. One of the main structural features of the pyramidal neuron is the conic shaped soma, or cell body, after which the neuron is named. Other key structural features of the pyramidal cell are a single axon, a large apical dendrite, multiple basal dendrites, and the presence of dendritic spines.^[1]

Pyramidal neurons are also one of two cell types where the characteristic sign, Negri bodies, are found in post-mortem rabies infection.^[2] Pyramidal neurons were first discovered and studied by Santiago Ramón y Cajal.^[3][4] Since then, studies on pyramidal neurons have focused on topics ranging from neuroplasticity to cognition.