Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of sensory neurons?

Sensory neurons are specialized cells responsible for converting external stimuli into electrical impulses that can be interpreted by the central nervous system (CNS). One distinguishing feature of sensory neurons is that they typically have specialized structures or receptors at their endings which allow them to detect specific types of stimuli, such as light, sound, or touch. This aligns closely with the options stating that they sense external stimuli and have specialized nerve endings.

In terms of structure, sensory neurons are primarily classified as unipolar or bipolar rather than multipolar. Unipolar neurons contain a single extension that branches into two parts: one that receives sensory information and the other that transmits impulses to the CNS. Bipolar neurons, on the other hand, have one axon and one dendrite. In contrast, multipolar neurons, which have multiple dendrites, are more commonly associated with motor functions or interneuron roles within the CNS. This is why the characteristic stating that sensory neurons are predominantly multipolar is not applicable to them.