Nervous tissue

lab

Nervous system
Central nervous system (CNS)
brain
spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

all nerves emerging/arriving to CNS

Nervous tissue
Cellularity :
neurons
supporting cells different in CNS and PNS

Neurons
soma
processes
Dendrites
Axon
Axon hillock
Terminal arborization
Sinaptic buttons

Organization of nervous system

CNS
Neuronal bodies form
gray matter
Axons form white
matter

PNS
Neuronal bodies form
nuclei
Axons form nerves

The neuron
Nucleus: centrally , eucromatic with visible
nucleolus
Basophilic granules = Nissl bodies RER
and ribosomes
Only in perykarion

Neurofilaments and microtubuli visible in

silver staining
In both perykarion and processes

Lipophuscin

Methods of study in OM
H&E staining
Form of perykarion
Little information about axon

Silver staining
good observation of processes

Toluidine blue
highlights the Nissle bodies

www.kumc.edu/instruction/medicine/anatomy/histoweb/nervous/nervous.htm

www.biodidac.bio.uottawa.ca

www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/MedEd/Histo/frames/h_frame6.html

Types of neurons
Shape of cell body: pyramidal, star-shaped,
granular
Size
large > 100m,
small 10 m

No. of processes
unipolar
bipolar
multipolar

Unipolar neuron

Bipolar neuron

Multipolar neuron

Myelin sheath
synthesized by schwann cell/
oligodendrocyte
lipoproteic structure not obvious on HE
stainig
osmium staining - black

Peripheral nerve, H&E

Overstaining with osmium

Supporting Cells: Neuroglia

Six types of Supporting Cells - neuroglia or glial
cells 4 in CNS and 2 in the PNS
Provide a supportive scaffold for neurons
Segregate and insulate neurons
Produce chemicals that guide young
neurons to the proper connections
Promote health and growth

Supporting Cells: Neuroglia

Neuroglia in the CNS

Neuroglia in the PNS

Astrocytes

Satellite Cells

Microglia

Schwann Cells

Ependymal Cells

Oligodendrocytes

oligodendrocytes
Found in both white and gray matter
Form myelin sheath of axons in CNS
Small round, nuclei, with processes
surrounding several axons
Majority of CNS cellularity

Glial cells in cortex

Astrocytes
Star-shaped with many processes
Link between neurons and capillaries
Two types:
protoplasmatic: mostly in gray matter,
numerous processes, short and ramified
fibrous: mostly in white matter, fewer
processes and longer

Silver stainig astrocytes

Various glia in human cortex, H&E

Microglia
In both white and gray
matter
Small, elongated cells
Short, irregular
processes
Dendritic spines

Schwann cells
Form myelin
sheath in PNS
Several
Schwann cells/
1 axon

Satellite cells
In PNS
Small cells
surrounding
neuronal bodies
in ganglia

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)

CONTROL TISSUE :
spinal cord
MAIN

DISTRIBUTION:
astrocytes
STAINING:
Cytoplasm
APPLICATION:
Astrocytic tumors.

Neuropil
It refers mainly to the gray matter between cell bodies.
With conventional stains, this area is not stained
Other preparations demonstrate the numerous neuronal and
glial cell processes that compose the neuropil.

http://courseweb.edteched.uottawa.ca/medicine-histology/English/SS_BasicTissues/ Nervous_Tissue.html