The term is frequently used when speaking of immature or developing neurons, especially of cells in culture, because it can be difficult to tell axons from dendrites before differentiation is complete.
At every given point along a developing neurite, there are receptors detecting both positive and negative growth cues from every direction in the surrounding space.
[9] There are several software kits available to facilitate neurite tracing in images such as NeuronJ (an ImageJ plugin),[10] Neuromantic,[11] and the Neurolucida system.
[12] Weak endogenous electric fields may be used to both facilitate and direct the growth of projections from cell soma neurites, EFs of moderate strength have been used to direct and enhance neurite outgrowth in both murine, or mouse, and xenopus models.
Co-culture of neurons with electrically aligned glial tissue also directs neurite outgrowth, as it is rich in neurotrophins that promote nerve growth [citation needed].
[14] 0.5 to 1.5 days after being plated in culture, several minor neurites will begin to protrude out from the cell body.
[14] A neurite growing in vivo is surrounded by thousands of extracellular signals which in turn can be modulated by hundreds of intracellular pathways, and the mechanisms for how these competing chemical signals effect the ultimate differentiation of neurites in vivo is not precisely understood.
[14] It has been suggested that global inhibition is achieved by a long-range negative feedback signal released from the developed axon and taken up by the other neurite.