3D NEURONAL STRUCTURE AND
NEUROHISTOLOGY
A. Spinal cord lower motor
neuron. Nissl substance (rough endoplasmic reticulum) stains purple. The
nucleolus is stained in the clear nucleus. Cresyl violet stain.
B.Cerebellar Purkinje neurons.
Large dendrites branch from the cell body. Intraneuronal neurofibrils and
background neural processes (neuropil) stain densely. Silver stain.
C. Spinal cord neuron. Many
large dendrites emerge from the cell body, and the smaller axon extends from
the large neuron at the 3 o'clock position. Ink stain.
D. Reticular formation neuron.
Heavy metal impregnation of selective neurons revealing the cell body and all
processes. Golgi stain.
E. Spinal cord ventral horn.
Neuronal cel ns and dendrites seen in the neuropil of the ventral horn. The
interface between gray matter and white matter is conspicuous. Cajal stain.
F. Superior mesenteric-celiac ganglion.
Glyoxylic acid fluorescence histochemistry demonstrating noradrenergic cell
bodies.
G. Superior mesenteric-celiac ganglion.
Immunohistochemical stain demonstrating the presence of interleukin-2 receptors
in these neurons.
H. Superior mesenteric-celiac ganglion.
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemical stain demonstrating the presence of
this enzyme, which cleaves acetylcholi to choline and acetyl coenzyme A.