What cell structure is responsible for conducting nerve signals from the cell body to target cells in neural tissue?

The axon is the cell structure that conducts nerve signals away from the cell body to target cells, such as other neurons, muscle cells, or gland cells. This long, slender projection allows the electrical impulses, known as action potentials, to travel efficiently over distances. The structure of the axon, often surrounded by a myelin sheath, greatly enhances the speed of signal transmission through a process called saltatory conduction, where the impulse jumps between the nodes of Ranvier.

While dendrites are responsible for receiving signals and conducting them toward the cell body, and neurons are the fundamental units of the nervous system that include axons and dendrites, it is specifically the axon that carries signals away from the neuron to target tissues. The synapse, on the other hand, is the junction where neurotransmitters are released to transmit signals between neurons but does not conduct signals by itself. Thus, the axon is the primary structure responsible for the conduction of nerve signals from the cell body to target cells.