Premium
Contribution to the quantitative study of the nervous tissue. A new method for measurement of the volume and surface area of neurons
Author(s) -
Mannen Hajime
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.901260107
Subject(s) - soma , neuron , biology , stereology , kitten , anatomy , neocortex , neuroscience , quail , volume (thermodynamics) , computer science , cats , physics , quantum mechanics , embedded system , endocrinology
In our histological analysis of the brain stem of the kitten with the Golgi‐Cox method, it was found that the application of reflecting illumination provides a clear outline of the soma surface including its relationship with the dendrites. Utilizing this method of illumination it was possible to develop a new approach for following the total course of dendrites in successive serial sections and a method for the photogrammetrical representation of neuron soma by means of microscopic stereophotograms. This has provided a means for estimating precisely the dimensions of the neuron. Five cells of the magnocellular nucleus of bulbar and pontine reticular formation have been measured as test cases by means of this new method. The following results were obtained: the mean area and volume of the neuron soma obtained by means of photogrammetry are 13,580μ 2 and 109,820μ 3 respectively; the area and volume of the entire dendritic portion of the neuron are 66,640 μ 2 and 70,060 μ 3 respectively. In the case of serial sections 250 μ thick, about 25% of the dendrites are lost in the neighboring sections with respect to length, and 16% to 14% with respect to area and volume. Thus the ratios of the dendritic area to the soma area and that of the dendritic volume to the soma volume average 5.1 and 0.6 respectively.