Biomaterial Database

The morphology of spinocervical tract neurones in the cat. 1976

A G Brown, and C R House, and P K Rose, and P J Snow

1. The morphology of physiologically identified spinocervical tract (SCT) neurones was studied using the intracellular injection of Procion dyes in anesthetized and decerebrate cats. 2. Extracellular recordings were made from SCT neurones at depths between 1000 and 2850 mum from the cord surface but neurones were only stained at depths between 1100 and 2400 mum. 3. The dendritic trees of stained SCT neurones were reconstructed in the transverse plane of the spinal cord. All SCT neurones had well developed dorsal dendrites but despite this it is not possible to consider the twenty-two SCT cells in out sample as consituting a morphologically homogenous population. 4. There was no correlation between the form of the dendritic trees and the depth of SCT neurones in the dorsal horn as determined both from measurements from the dorsal grey-white border and the position of cells with respect to the border between Rexed's laminae II and III. 5. Six types of SCT neurones were identified on the basis of the form of their dendritic trees as viewed in the transverse plane: (1) radially symmetrical, (2) semicircular, (3) large elliptical, (4) bilobed, (5) triangular, (6) small elliptical. Each of these types was found only in a certain region across the dorsal horn although any one region could contain more than one type. 6. Spinocervical tract neurones with small elliptical dendritic trees always had receptive fields encompassing part of the hip or thigh and were unique in being located in the lateral portions of the horn. 7. There was no correlation between the morphology of SCT neurones and their excitatory cutaneous inputs, receptive field size, axonal conduction velocity or depth in the dorsal horn.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009431	Neural Conduction	The propagation of the NERVE IMPULSE along the nerve away from the site of an excitation stimulus.	Nerve Conduction,Conduction, Nerve,Conduction, Neural,Conductions, Nerve,Conductions, Neural,Nerve Conductions,Neural Conductions
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D003712	Dendrites	Extensions of the nerve cell body. They are short and branched and receive stimuli from other NEURONS.	Dendrite
D000200	Action Potentials	Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli.	Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential
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
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
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
D013127	Spinal Nerves	The 31 paired peripheral nerves formed by the union of the dorsal and ventral spinal roots from each spinal cord segment. The spinal nerve plexuses and the spinal roots are also included.	Nerve, Spinal,Nerves, Spinal,Spinal Nerve