Biomaterial Database

A morphometric analysis of extracellular space in the developing spinal cord of the chick embryo. 1988

N Sano, and S Matsuda, and H Matsuda, and Y Uehara

Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.

The developmental changes in the amount and distribution of the expanded extracellular space (ECS) (i.e. wider than 100 nm) were analyzed in the cervical spinal cord of chick embryos between stage 9 and 29, using electron micrograph montages, which cover one half of the cross-sectional area of the cord. The percentage of the ECS expansion to the whole cross-sectional area of the cord was 11.0% at stage 9, 7.7% at stage 11, 7.8% at stage 15, and 9.7% at stage 17. It decreased markedly to 3.0% at stage 22 and 1.3% at stage 29. The highest percentage at stage 9 may reflect the dynamic structural changes associated with neural groove closure which takes place around this time. The marked decrease after stage 22 is associated with the rapid overall growth of the cord. Until stage 19, the ECS expansions were mostly elongated and arranged radially with respect to the central canal. The ECS became scarce and arranged randomly thereafter. Throughout the stages examined, especially between stages 17 and 19, percentage was higher in the outer half of the cord than in the inner half. The outer glial limiting membrane was not established by stage 29. Between stages 17 and 22, the percentage was higher in the dorsal region than in the ventral region. This appears to be associated with the regional difference in neuronal maturation. The first blood vessels penetrated the ventromedial portion of the cord around stage 22, where the ECS expansions were relatively scarce. The successive rapid decrease in the amount of ECS expansions can be correlated to the development of vascularization.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D002642	Chick Embryo	The developmental entity of a fertilized chicken egg (ZYGOTE). The developmental process begins about 24 h before the egg is laid at the BLASTODISC, a small whitish spot on the surface of the EGG YOLK. After 21 days of incubation, the embryo is fully developed before hatching.	Embryo, Chick,Chick Embryos,Embryos, Chick
D005110	Extracellular Space	Interstitial space between cells, occupied by INTERSTITIAL FLUID as well as amorphous and fibrous substances. For organisms with a CELL WALL, the extracellular space includes everything outside of the CELL MEMBRANE including the PERIPLASM and the cell wall.	Intercellular Space,Extracellular Spaces,Intercellular Spaces,Space, Extracellular,Space, Intercellular,Spaces, Extracellular,Spaces, Intercellular
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013116	Spinal Cord	A cylindrical column of tissue that lies within the vertebral canal. It is composed of WHITE MATTER and GRAY MATTER.	Coccygeal Cord,Conus Medullaris,Conus Terminalis,Lumbar Cord,Medulla Spinalis,Myelon,Sacral Cord,Thoracic Cord,Coccygeal Cords,Conus Medullari,Conus Terminali,Cord, Coccygeal,Cord, Lumbar,Cord, Sacral,Cord, Spinal,Cord, Thoracic,Cords, Coccygeal,Cords, Lumbar,Cords, Sacral,Cords, Spinal,Cords, Thoracic,Lumbar Cords,Medulla Spinali,Medullari, Conus,Medullaris, Conus,Myelons,Sacral Cords,Spinal Cords,Spinali, Medulla,Spinalis, Medulla,Terminali, Conus,Terminalis, Conus,Thoracic Cords