Contains: 1 image
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
You can use this work for any purpose, as long as it is not primarily intended for or directed to commercial advantage or monetary compensation. You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence. Read more about this licence.
Credit
Purkinje cell and dendritic tree, rat cerebellar cortex, SEM. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.
Scanning electron micrograph of the dendritic tree of a purkinje neurone in the cerebellar cortex of a rat brain. Dendritic trees are the tiny receiving elements of neurones and receive the vast majority of input information coming into the neurone. They have an elaborate branching structure which helps to define the 'personality' of individual neurones. Dendrites are not passive receivers, but instead actively transform the signals they receive, which dramatically enhances the computational power of single neurones. The cerebellar cortex forms part of the cerebellum, the region of the brain which plays a role in controlling accuracy and coordination of movement. This purkinje cell was filled with a visual marker using the patch-clamp technique. It was then imaged using a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope which allows neurones and neural circuits to be reconstructed in high resolution. This image is 110 micrometres wide and 141 micrometres high. Scanning electron micrograph 2014