Current Approaches to the Glia and Some Perspectives

Abstract

The development of knowledge on the glia, as outlined briefly in Sect. 1.1, has now reached a stage where it has become evident that no one method used on its own can extend our understanding of glial structure and function. On the other hand, powerful new techniques such as autoradiography, immunocytochemistry at both light and electron microscopic levels, and tracer administrations have added substantially to the classical histological methods, which have thus reached a high level of sophistication. The combination of this new type of histology with biochemical and functional investigations is thought to determine glial research of the near future.