Enteric Glia and Enteric Neurons, Associated

Abstract

Peripheral neurons are never found alone and are invariably accompanied by glial cells, with which they are intimately associated in compact, highly deformable structures.

Myenteric ganglia of the guinea-pig, examined in situ by electron microscopy, show that in their neuropil (axons and dendrites, and glial cells and processes) the glia constitutes almost half of the volume and almost half of membrane extent.

In the glia, the expanse of the cell membrane predominates over that of their cytoplasm, the opposite being the case with the neural elements.

The profile of the glial elements is passive and is dictated by the surrounding elements, mainly the axons, and hence it is predominantly concave.

The enteric glia is widely developed; however, it is not sufficient to form a full wrapping around all neurons and around all axons (unlike what is found in other autonomic ganglia).

Glial processes are radially expanding laminae, irregularly tapering, branching, and penetrating between axons.

Some processes have a specialized termination attached to the basal lamina of the ganglion.

Mitochondria are markedly more abundant in neural element that in the glia (up to a factor of 2).

Many expanded axons, laden with vesicles clustered beneath membrane sites, abut on glial cells and processes, while these show no matching structural specializations.