Nervous Gallery

Immunofluorescent LM of neurons & astrocytes

Immunofluorescent Light Micrograph of a network of neurons and astrocyte cells, in brain cortex. In the foreground, nerve fibres of neurons (green) are seen in a fine branching network. These fibres are the routes of transmission of nerve impulses. Astrocytes behind them (orange) are large star- shaped connective tissue cells; as part of the neuroglia ("nerve glue") they provide mechanical support and nutrients for the neurons. Astrocytes may take part in information storage processes. Immunofluorescence is a staining technique which uses antibodies to attach fluorescent dyes to specific tissues and to molecules within the cell. Magnification: x200 at 35mm, x375 at 6x4.5cm

© NANCY KEDERSHA/UCLA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Synapse nerve junction, TEM

Synapse. Coloured transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of a synapse, a junction between two nerve cells, in the brain. At a synapse an electrical signal is transmitted from one cell to the next in only one direction. The nerve cells are green, with the pre-synaptic cell at lower right and the post-synaptic cell at upper left. Mitochondria, supplying the cells with energy, are purple. When an electrical signal reaches a synapse it triggers the release of neurotransmitter chemicals from vesicles (red) at the end of the presynaptic cell. The neurotransmitters cross a microscopic gap and bind to receptors on the post- synaptic cell. Magnification: 50, 000x when printed 10 centimetres across

© THOMAS DEERINCK, NCMIR/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Nerve cells, SEM

Nerve cells. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of nerve cells, known as neurones. Nerve cells occur in the brain, spinal cord, and in ganglia. Each nerve cell has a large cell body (brown) with several long processes extending from it. The processes usually consist of one thicker axon and several thinner branched dendrites. The dendrites collect information in the form of nerve impulses from other nerve cells and pass it to the cell body. This information is interpreted by the cell body, and then passed on along the axon. In this way neurones allow information to be rapidly received, interpreted, and relayed around the body. Magnification: x800 when printed at 10 centimetres wide

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY