The Cellular Structure of the Mammalian Nervous System : a re-examination, and some consequences for neurobiology

It would seem an appropriate time to re-examine the cellular structure of the mammalian nervous system for the following reasons. Firstly, there is considerable confusion in the literature about the appearance of the different kinds of neuroglia by light and by electron microscopy, and this is complemented by widespread disagreements among distinguished neuropathologists about the international classification of tumours of the central nervous system. Secondly, there is an increasing volume of experiments on the physiology and biochemistry of tissue cultures of neurons and different kinds of neuroglia, whose validity depends upon the accurate identification of both the parent tissue and also of the cells subsequently growing in culture. The biochemical classifica­ tion in recent years has often tended to become independent of the cellular identification, which makes the use of the neuroglial cell names doubtful and the significance of the biochemical properties of the cells difficult to relate to the physiological properties in vitro or in vivo (Table 1). Front Matter....Pages i-xii Foreword....Pages 1-2 Acknowledgements....Pages 3-3 Philosophy....Pages 4-5 Landmarks in the Cell Biology of the Nervous System....Pages 6-26 Methods of Studying Neural Structure....Pages 27-48 Cellular Identification — General Comments....Pages 49-81 Specific Identification....Pages 82-91 Experimental Studies....Pages 92-118 Critique of these Experiments....Pages 119-125 The Fine Structure of the Nervous System....Pages 126-182 Other Evidence Supporting these Conclusions....Pages 183-188 Summary of Conclusions about Nervous Tissue in Living Mammals....Pages 189-192 Problems Arising from the Latter Conclusions....Pages 193-204 Properties of the Nervous System in the Light of Present Conclusions....Pages 205-241 Practical Recommendations....Pages 242-243 Postscript....Pages 244-244 Back Matter....Pages 245-318