NEURONS
The images on the previous pages of nervous tissue, presented cell extensions of neurons. However, the true structure of the extensions can be much better demonstrated after subjecting fragments of nervous tissue to metallic impregnation techniques.
Instead of staining, the fragments are treated with solutions containing metals, such as gold, silver, or zinc. The metals precipitate on the components of the nervous tissue and allow the observation of the structure of a large part of their extensions. Details of the cytoplasm and nuclei, however, cannot be observed.
The image is of a section of a cerebellum. Cell bodies of large neurons are indicated by arrows. Long, branched dendrites extend from the cell bodies. The nerve cells shown here are called Purkinje cells.
Cerebellum. Metallic Impregnation. Magnification: small.