▁body ▁of ▁a ▁neur on . ▁This ▁projection ▁can ▁be ▁either ▁an ▁ax on ▁or ▁a ▁d end rite . ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁frequently ▁used ▁when ▁speaking ▁of ▁imm ature ▁or ▁developing ▁neur ons , ▁especially ▁of ▁cells ▁in ▁culture , ▁because ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁difficult ▁to ▁tell ▁ax ons ▁from ▁d end rit es ▁before ▁different iation ▁is ▁complete . ▁ ▁Ne ur ite ▁development ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁neur ite ▁requires ▁a ▁complex ▁inter play ▁of ▁both ▁ext rac ell ular ▁and ▁int rac ell ular ▁signals . ▁At ▁every ▁given ▁point ▁along ▁a ▁developing ▁neur ite , ▁there ▁are ▁re cept ors ▁detect ing ▁both ▁positive ▁and ▁negative ▁growth ▁c ues ▁from ▁every ▁direction ▁in ▁the ▁surrounding ▁space . ▁The ▁developing ▁neur ite ▁sums ▁together ▁all ▁of ▁these ▁growth ▁signals ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁determine ▁which ▁direction ▁the ▁neur ite ▁will ▁ultimately ▁grow ▁towards . ▁While ▁not ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁growth ▁signals ▁are ▁known , ▁several ▁have ▁been ▁identified ▁and ▁character ized . ▁Among ▁the ▁known ▁ext rac ell ular ▁growth ▁signals ▁are ▁net rin , ▁a ▁mid line ▁chem o att ract ant , ▁and ▁sem ap hor in , ▁e ph rin ▁and ▁col laps in , ▁all ▁in hib itors ▁of ▁neur ite ▁growth . ▁ ▁Young ▁neur ites ▁are ▁often ▁pack ed ▁with ▁micro t ub ule ▁bund les , ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁stim ulated ▁by ▁ne uro t roph ic ▁factors , ▁such ▁as ▁n erve ▁growth ▁factor ▁( NG F ). ▁T