CELLS OF THE NERVOUS TISSUE
NEUROGLIA
PROTOPLASMIC ASTROCYTES – 1
Protoplasmic astrocytes can be recognized in sections after special treatments that result in the precipitation of metals on their surface (metallic impregnation techniques). The yellowish color of the section is to due these metals. The metllic impregnation techniques generally do not allow observation of details of the nucleus and cytoplasm.
The image is a small magnification of a section of the gray matter of the brain.The protoplasmic astrocytes are highlighted in light blue.
These astrocytes have many branched processes but often only a few of the proceses that are farther away form the cell bodiy can be individualized.
Sometimes an excessive amount of the metal precipitate occurs on the surface of the cells, which, as a result, appear as blurs, not allowing the visualization of the processes. They will be better seen on the following pages.
The very small black circles are cell bodies of neurons often with one or two extensions (the very thin lines present in many parts of the image).
Blood capillaries are seen as thicker lines.
