Bipolar neurons have one arm on each side, like a person holding out both hands. They help pass messages for seeing, hearing, and smelling.
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Bi means two. A bipolar neuron has a cell body in the middle with one branch coming out each end.
One branch collects a message. The other branch passes it on. You can find bipolar neurons in special places: the back of your eye, deep in your ear, and high up in your nose.
Bipolar neurons in your nose can smell. Most of your nerve cells last your whole life, but your body keeps making new smell cells!
In your eye, light hits cells called rods and cones. They pass a message to bipolar neurons. The bipolar neurons hand it on to other cells that send it to your brain.
Without them, the picture your eye catches would never reach your brain.
Press Pass the message on the 3D model. Light comes in on one side, and the message leaves from the other.