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Morphological organization of monoamine‐containing neurons in the hypothalamus of the painted turtle ( Chrysemys picta )
Author(s) -
Parent A.,
Poitras D.
Publication year - 1974
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.901540403
Subject(s) - hypothalamus , biology , painted turtle , monoamine neurotransmitter , third ventricle , anatomy , median eminence , medial forebrain bundle , serotonin , turtle (robot) , endocrinology , dopamine , striatum , biochemistry , receptor , fishery
The distribution and morphological aspect of monoamine‐containing neurons in the hypothalamus of the turtle ( Chrysemys picta ) were studied by means of light and fluorescence (Falck‐Hillarp method) microscopy. In this reptilian brain, numerous neurons of the catecholamine type are unevenly distributed within the hypothalamic periventricular gray. They are present in large number along the ependymal wall of the sulcus intrahypothalamicus (paraventricular organ) and of the infundibular recess, but are less numerous along the preoptic recess. Most of these neurons appear as small bipolar cells with a short club‐like ventricular process contacting the cerebrospinal fluid of the third ventricle, and a more tenuous varicose process either penetrating the underlying hypothalamic tissue or reaching the external layer of the median eminence. Thin “collaterals” may be seen to arise from a few intraventricular processes of neurons of the paraventricular organ in material prepared by the Golgi‐Cox method. Another small group (10 to 15 perikarya) of larger catecholamine‐containing neurons apparently without any ventricular process are also present in the basomedial area of the caudal hypothalamus. In the present study no intrinsic neurons of the serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine) type were found within the hypothalamus of ( Chrysemys picta ). However, numerous fine nerve terminals and varicose fibers of the serotonin type, most probably of extrahypothalamic origin, were observed along the chiasmatic ridge and within the lateral hypothalamus, respectively.