Summary
The amount of mitochondria has been recorded in various parts of neurons. This was done in electron micrographs of cerebral cortex from the hippocampal region. The outlines of boutons, somata and dendrites of varying diameters were transferred to tracing paper together with the outlines of the contained mitochondria. The same was done for whole tissue for comparison. After cutting out and weighing the outlined areas, the fraction of the various tissue constituents, or of whole tissue, occupied by mitochondria was determined. The absolute values are shown in the illustrations (Figs. 4–9). The dendritic shafts of pyramidal cells, coursing through stratum radiatum of regio superior (CA 1), are particularly poor in mitochondria (about 2%). In the branches, the amount as a rule increases with decreasing diameter (to nearly 13% in stratum moleculare).
Boutons were the structures richest in mitochondria, but the amount varied with location.
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This study was supported in part by Grant NB 02215 from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, U.S. Public Health Service. The authors are indebted to Mrs. J. L. Vaaland, Miss M. Johansen and Mr. B. V. Johansen for valuable technical assistance.
Fellow of The Norwegian Cancer Society during part of this study.
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Nafstad, P.H.J., Blackstad, T.W. Distribution of mitochondria in pyramidal cells and boutons in hippocampal cortex. Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 73, 234–245 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334866
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334866