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The red nucleus in the monkey ( Macaca mulatta ): A Golgi and an electron microscopic study
Author(s) -
King James S.,
Schwyn Robert C.,
Fox Clement A.
Publication year - 1971
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.901420106
Subject(s) - nissl body , biology , nucleus , golgi apparatus , anatomy , ultrastructure , soma , parvocellular cell , red nucleus , electron microscope , axon , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , endoplasmic reticulum , optics , physics , staining , genetics
This study of the ultrastructure of the red nucleus of the monkey (Macaca mulatta) also includes light microscopic observations made with Golgi, Nissl and one micron plastic section techniques. Sagittal Nissl sections reveal the abrupt transition between the magnocellular and parvicellular division of the nucleus; therefore, it is advantageous to study the red nucleus in this monkey because small tissue blocks from each of its subdivisions can be prepared for electron microscopy. The characteristic neurons of the magnocellular division have well formed, evenly distributed Nissl bodies. The multipolar cell bodies (50–70 μ) and elongated cell bodies (80–90 μ in length) are the large or giant neurons; those 30 to nearly 50 μ are the medium‐size neurons of some descriptions. The characteristic neurons (20–30 μ) of the parvicellular division, referred to here as medium‐size neurons, have no distinct Nissl granules and their Nissl substance usually occupies the peripheral rim of their cell bodies. In both subdivisions of the nucleus there are small (10–15 μ), achromatic, Golgi type II neurons. The cell bodies of the large neurons have prominent somatic spines and their dendrites and the dendrites of the medium‐size neurons have scattered spines. There are large (4–5 × 10–12 μ) and small (1–2 μ) synaptic endings on the dendrites. Some of the former are formed at nodes of Ranvier. It is suggested that the large endings are terminals of the superior cerebellar peduncle.