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Axonal numbers and sizes in the connectives and peripheral nerves of the leech
Author(s) -
Wilkinson Joyce M.,
Coggeshall Richard E.
Publication year - 1975
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.901620307
Subject(s) - leech , anatomy , biology , axon , peripheral , peripheral nervous system , connective tissue , neuroscience , central nervous system , medicine , genetics , world wide web , computer science
Abstract The present study is an electron microscopic analysis of the numbers and sizes of axons in the connectives and nerves of the medicianal leech. In either the right or left connectives for ganglis 14–18, there are approximately 2860 (± 294 S.D) axons. Ninety‐seven percent of these axons are less than one micron in diameter. The median connective, Faivre's nerve, contains 97 (± 3 S.D.) axons, and 94% of these fibers are smaller than one micron. In the peripheral nerve roots for ganglia 14–18, there are approximately 2351 (± 311 S.D.) axons. Ninety‐eight percent of the axons in the nerves are less than one micron in diameter. Thus, there are approximately 20,000 axons associated with each of the segmental ganglia 14–18 in the leech, and the vast majority of these fibers are less than one micron in diameter.