Biomaterial Database

The projection of the lateral geniculate nucleus to area 17 of the rat cerebral cortex. IV. Terminations upon spiny dendrites. 1977

A Peters, and M L Feldman

The forms of the spiny dendrites in layer IV receiving degenerating thalamocortical axon terminals have been examined in serial thin sections. Reconstructions of segments of these dendrites show that the axon terminals synapse with both the dendritic spines and the dendritic shafts. No main shafts of apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons were found to synapse with the thalamic afferents, which are received mainly by spiny dendrites 1-2 micron in diameter, at least some of which appear to be the oblique branches of apical dendrites. The forms of these postsynaptic dendrites are so variable that is concluded they arise from more than one morphological type of neuron. The conclusion based on this and previous articles in the series is that most neuronal elements in layer IV which form asymmetric synaptic junctions are potential recipients of the thalamocortical afferents.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008870	Microtubules	Slender, cylindrical filaments found in the cytoskeleton of plant and animal cells. They are composed of the protein TUBULIN and are influenced by TUBULIN MODULATORS.	Microtubule
D008928	Mitochondria	Semiautonomous, self-reproducing organelles that occur in the cytoplasm of all cells of most, but not all, eukaryotes. Each mitochondrion is surrounded by a double limiting membrane. The inner membrane is highly invaginated, and its projections are called cristae. Mitochondria are the sites of the reactions of oxidative phosphorylation, which result in the formation of ATP. They contain distinctive RIBOSOMES, transfer RNAs (RNA, TRANSFER); AMINO ACYL T RNA SYNTHETASES; and elongation and termination factors. Mitochondria depend upon genes within the nucleus of the cells in which they reside for many essential messenger RNAs (RNA, MESSENGER). Mitochondria are believed to have arisen from aerobic bacteria that established a symbiotic relationship with primitive protoeukaryotes. (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Mitochondrial Contraction,Mitochondrion,Contraction, Mitochondrial,Contractions, Mitochondrial,Mitochondrial Contractions
D003712	Dendrites	Extensions of the nerve cell body. They are short and branched and receive stimuli from other NEURONS.	Dendrite
D004721	Endoplasmic Reticulum	A system of cisternae in the CYTOPLASM of many cells. In places the endoplasmic reticulum is continuous with the plasma membrane (CELL MEMBRANE) or outer membrane of the nuclear envelope. If the outer surfaces of the endoplasmic reticulum membranes are coated with ribosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum is said to be rough-surfaced (ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM, ROUGH); otherwise it is said to be smooth-surfaced (ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM, SMOOTH). (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Ergastoplasm,Reticulum, Endoplasmic
D005829	Geniculate Bodies	Part of the DIENCEPHALON inferior to the caudal end of the dorsal THALAMUS. Includes the lateral geniculate body which relays visual impulses from the OPTIC TRACT to the calcarine cortex, and the medial geniculate body which relays auditory impulses from the lateral lemniscus to the AUDITORY CORTEX.	Lateral Geniculate Body,Medial Geniculate Body,Metathalamus,Corpus Geniculatum Mediale,Geniculate Nucleus,Lateral Geniculate Nucleus,Medial Geniculate Complex,Medial Geniculate Nucleus,Nucleus Geniculatus Lateralis Dorsalis,Nucleus Geniculatus Lateralis Pars Dorsalis,Bodies, Geniculate,Complex, Medial Geniculate,Complices, Medial Geniculate,Corpus Geniculatum Mediales,Geniculate Bodies, Lateral,Geniculate Bodies, Medial,Geniculate Body,Geniculate Body, Lateral,Geniculate Body, Medial,Geniculate Complex, Medial,Geniculate Complices, Medial,Geniculate Nucleus, Lateral,Geniculate Nucleus, Medial,Geniculatum Mediale, Corpus,Geniculatum Mediales, Corpus,Lateral Geniculate Bodies,Medial Geniculate Bodies,Medial Geniculate Complices,Mediale, Corpus Geniculatum,Mediales, Corpus Geniculatum,Nucleus, Geniculate,Nucleus, Lateral Geniculate,Nucleus, Medial Geniculate
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
D001369	Axons	Nerve fibers that are capable of rapidly conducting impulses away from the neuron cell body.	Axon
D013569	Synapses	Specialized junctions at which a neuron communicates with a target cell. At classical synapses, a neuron's presynaptic terminal releases a chemical transmitter stored in synaptic vesicles which diffuses across a narrow synaptic cleft and activates receptors on the postsynaptic membrane of the target cell. The target may be a dendrite, cell body, or axon of another neuron, or a specialized region of a muscle or secretory cell. Neurons may also communicate via direct electrical coupling with ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES. Several other non-synaptic chemical or electric signal transmitting processes occur via extracellular mediated interactions.	Synapse
D014793	Visual Cortex	Area of the OCCIPITAL LOBE concerned with the processing of visual information relayed via VISUAL PATHWAYS.	Area V2,Area V3,Area V4,Area V5,Associative Visual Cortex,Brodmann Area 18,Brodmann Area 19,Brodmann's Area 18,Brodmann's Area 19,Cortical Area V2,Cortical Area V3,Cortical Area V4,Cortical Area V5,Secondary Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondary,Visual Cortex V2,Visual Cortex V3,Visual Cortex V3, V4, V5,Visual Cortex V4,Visual Cortex V5,Visual Cortex, Associative,Visual Motion Area,Extrastriate Cortex,Area 18, Brodmann,Area 18, Brodmann's,Area 19, Brodmann,Area 19, Brodmann's,Area V2, Cortical,Area V3, Cortical,Area V4, Cortical,Area V5, Cortical,Area, Visual Motion,Associative Visual Cortices,Brodmanns Area 18,Brodmanns Area 19,Cortex Secondary, Visual,Cortex V2, Visual,Cortex V3, Visual,Cortex, Associative Visual,Cortex, Extrastriate,Cortex, Secondary Visual,Cortex, Visual,Cortical Area V3s,Extrastriate Cortices,Secondary Visual Cortices,V3, Cortical Area,V3, Visual Cortex,V4, Area,V4, Cortical Area,V5, Area,V5, Cortical Area,V5, Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondaries,Visual Cortex, Secondary,Visual Motion Areas
D014795	Visual Pathways	Set of cell bodies and nerve fibers conducting impulses from the eyes to the cerebral cortex. It includes the RETINA; OPTIC NERVE; optic tract; and geniculocalcarine tract.	Pathway, Visual,Pathways, Visual,Visual Pathway