Incoming
Published: 10.05.2012
A nerve cell from the Hippocampus sits enthroned in a Petri dish. Incoming signals are conducted to the cell body via the structures marked in red, the dendrites. Data is transmitted to other neurons via the branches of the Axon marked in green. The researchers made all the cells in the culture dish visible by staining the cell nuclei (blue). The blue dots without red or green extensions are therefore Glial cells They can have a decisive influence on the neuronal environment.
You can find more information and exciting images on this topic in our slideshow ▸ Communication under the microscope.
© Jochen Meier /MDC Berlin, 2009
The hippocampus is the largest part of the Archicortex and an area in the Temporal lobe It is also an important part of the Limbic system Functionally, it is involved in Memory processes, but also in spatial orientation and learning. It comprises the subiculum, the dentate gyrus, and the Ammon's horn with its four fields CA1-CA4.
Changes in the structure of the hippocampus due to stress are associated with chronic pain. The hippocampus also plays an important role in the amplification of pain through anxiety.
axon
The axon is the extension of the nerve cell that is responsible for conducting nerve impulses to the next cell. An axon can branch out many times, reaching a large number of downstream nerve cells. It can be more than a meter long. The axon ends in one or more synapses.
Glial cells
Glia cells are the second largest group of cells in the brain after neurons. For a long time, they were considered inactive elements of the brain, referred to as "nerve cement." Today, we know that the different types of glia cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and Microglia in the CNS; Schwann cells in the PNS) perform clearly defined tasks in the nervous system. For example, they respond to pathogens, play an important role in nourishing nerve cells, and insulate nerve fibers. They account for slightly more than 50 percent of the brain's cells, compared to neurons.
Hippocampus
The hippocampus is the largest part of the archicortex and an area in the temporal lobe. It is also an important part of the limbic system. Functionally, it is involved in memory processes, but also in spatial orientation and learning. It comprises the subiculum, the dentate gyrus, and the Ammon's horn with its four fields CA1-CA4.
Changes in the structure of the hippocampus due to stress are associated with chronic pain. The hippocampus also plays an important role in the amplification of pain through anxiety.
Archicortex
An ancient structure of the cerebrum in terms of evolutionary development, which, in contrast to the isocortex (also called the neocortex), has a three-layer structure. The archicortex mainly comprises the hippocampal structures.
Temporal lobe
Lobus temporalis
The temporal lobe is one of the four lobes of the cerebrum and is located laterally (on the side) at the bottom. It contains important areas such as the auditory cortex and parts of Wernicke's area, as well as areas for higher visual processing; deep within it lies the medial temporal lobe with structures such as the hippocampus.
Limbic system
The limbic system is a functional unit in the brain. It consists of interconnected structures, primarily in the cerebrum and diencephalon. The structures assigned to the system vary depending on the source, but the most important components are the hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, septum, and mammillary bodies. The limbic system is involved in autonomic and visceral processes as well as in mechanisms of emotion, memory, and learning. Some authors mistakenly reduce the limbic system to the emotional world by referring to it as the "emotional brain."
Memory
Memory is a generic term for all types of information storage in the organism. In addition to pure retention, this also includes the absorption of information, its organization, and retrieval.
Ammon's horn
cornu ammonis
Part of the cerebrum, specifically the front end of the hippocampus. The Cornu Ammonis is divided into fields CA1 to CA4. It owes its name to its shape, which resembles the horn of an ammon sheep.
Axon
axon
The axon is the extension of the nerve cell that is responsible for conducting nerve impulses to the next cell. An axon can branch out many times, reaching a large number of downstream nerve cells. It can be more than a meter long. The axon ends in one or more synapses.
Microglia
The smallest type of glial cell is part of the cellular immune system and is responsible, among other things, for removing dead neurons. Microglia can move in an amoeba-like manner.
