Betz cells are giants. They are some of the biggest nerve cells in your brain, and they help you move.
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Betz cells are a very large kind of pyramidal cell. They live in the motor cortex, the strip of brain that helps control movement.
Their cell body is shaped like a pyramid, with branches going in many directions. Their axon is very long and reaches down into the spinal cord.
Betz cells are named after Vladimir Betz, a scientist from Kyiv who described them in 1874.
Betz cells are a kind of upper motor neuron. They send "move!" messages down to the spinal cord, where other neurons pass them on to your muscles.
Many Betz cells are in the part of the motor cortex that controls your legs. They help you walk, run, and jump.
Press Send a move message on the 3D model, then try a big jump of your own!