A nerve cell, or neuron, is the basic unit of the nervous system. It transmits information to and from the brain. The structure of a neuron allows the transmission to be quick.1  The Structure & Function of Muscle Cells.2  What Is the Function of Blood Cells?tructure. Nerve cells consist of a cell body, axon and dendrites. The cell body contains the nucleus and other cellular compartments. The axon is long and surrounded by a layer of fat.