When you decide to kick a ball, the message starts in your brain. Upper motor neurons send that "move!" message down toward your spinal cord.
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Upper motor neurons live in the motor cortex, a strip on the top of your brain that helps control movement.
Each one has a cell body with branchy dendrites that collect messages. It also has one very long wire called an axon. The axon reaches down into your brainstem or spinal cord.
Some upper motor neuron axons travel from the top of your brain all the way down your back inside the spinal cord. That is a very long wire for one cell!
Upper motor neurons do not touch your muscles. Instead, they pass the message to lower motor neurons in your spinal cord. Those cells carry it out to the muscles.
It works like a relay race. The brain cell runs the first part and hands off the baton.
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Send a move message. Watch the message travel down the axon.