A Myelinating Oligodendrocyte in the Developing Brain
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Title: A Myelinating Oligodendrocyte in the Developing Brain
Description: Thin sections of the region containing the mid region of the corpus callosum of a 16-day-old rat brain was stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and then examined using a Jeol JEM-1230 transmission electron microscope. Sections were photograph at 8,000 X magnification.
Oligodendrocytes are the cells that make the myelin membrane in the brain and spinal cord. A single oligodendrocyte can myelinate as many as 30-60 axons. The myelin membrane wraps concentrically around the axons, insulating them and facilitating the rapid "saltatory" conduction of nerve impulses. However is now well known that this complex membrane also regulates axonal extension and radial growth, as well as neuronal ion channel distribution. Moreover, the myelin-forming oligodendrocytes are known to be involved in electrical coupling to astrocytes and bidirectional glial-neuronal communications, and were more recently identified as critical players in novel support mechanisms of neuronal survival and axonal function and integrity. The importance of myelin is underscore by the growing number of diseases associate to myelin damage and dysfunction, including multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Carmen Sato-Bigbee, Faculty, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Jeol JEM-1230 transmission electron microscope with ad hoc digital camera system
Oligodendrocytes are the cells that make the myelin membrane in the brain and spinal cord. A single oligodendrocyte can myelinate as many as 30-60 axons. The myelin membrane wraps concentrically around the axons, insulating them and facilitating the rapid "saltatory" conduction of nerve impulses. However is now well known that this complex membrane also regulates axonal extension and radial growth, as well as neuronal ion channel distribution. Moreover, the myelin-forming oligodendrocytes are known to be involved in electrical coupling to astrocytes and bidirectional glial-neuronal communications, and were more recently identified as critical players in novel support mechanisms of neuronal survival and axonal function and integrity. The importance of myelin is underscore by the growing number of diseases associate to myelin damage and dysfunction, including multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Carmen Sato-Bigbee, Faculty, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Jeol JEM-1230 transmission electron microscope with ad hoc digital camera system
Identifier: ttlg-01
Citation: “A Myelinating Oligodendrocyte in the Developing Brain,” VCU Libraries Gallery, accessed April 29, 2024, https://gallery.library.vcu.edu/items/show/2729.