Final answer:
The cell body, or soma, of a neuron contains the nucleus and is usually quite compact. It varies in position depending on the neuron and is centrally called a nucleus, and peripherally a ganglion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the characteristics of the cell body of a neuron, also known as the soma. The cell body contains the cell nucleus and other important organelles and is crucial for the functioning and survival of the neuron. It is compact, often only slightly wider than the nucleus itself. Furthermore, the cell body's position on a neuron can vary greatly; it is not found in the same position on every neuron. Neurons differ in size and shape based on their function, but all have a cell body, dendrites, and an axon. While the dendrites receive signals and transfer them to the soma, the axon sends the action potential away to another excitable cell.
In the central nervous system (CNS), a group of neuron cell bodies is called a nucleus, whereas in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), it's referred to as a ganglion. This differentiation is part of the precise anatomical terminology used to describe neuronal structures whether they are central or peripheral. It's important to note that there can be some confusion with terms like 'basal ganglia', which historically referred to a group of nuclei in the CNS, but the term 'ganglia' now typically describes a peripheral structure.