Purkinje cells
Purkinje Cells
Purkinje cells (pronounced: pur-KIN-jee cells), also known as Purkinje neurons, are a type of neuron in the cerebellar cortex of the brain. They are named after the Czech anatomist Jan Evangelista Purkyně, who discovered them in 1837.
Etymology
The term "Purkinje" is derived from the surname of the Czech anatomist Jan Evangelista Purkyně. The term "cell" comes from the Latin cella, meaning "small room", a term first used in the biological context by Robert Hooke in the 17th century.
Function
Purkinje cells are some of the largest neurons in the human brain. They play a crucial role in motor coordination. They receive inputs from two major types of fibers: climbing fibers and mossy fibers, and send inhibitory outputs to the deep cerebellar nuclei.
Structure
Purkinje cells have a distinctive, highly branched dendritic tree which is the site of the vast majority of their synaptic connections. The cell body is flask-shaped, with the dendrites branching out in a tree-like pattern into the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex, while the single axon runs into the white matter of the cerebellum.
Related Terms
- Neuron: The basic working unit of the brain, a specialized cell designed to transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells.
- Cerebellum: The part of the brain at the back of the skull in vertebrates, which coordinates and regulates muscular activity.
- Cerebellar Cortex: The outer layer of the cerebellum, densely packed with neurons, including the Purkinje cells.
- Climbing fibers: One of the two types of input fibers that synapse onto Purkinje cells.
- Mossy fibers: The other type of input fiber that synapses onto Purkinje cells.
- Deep cerebellar nuclei: The regions of gray matter located within the white matter of the cerebellum, receiving inhibitory inputs from Purkinje cells.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Purkinje cells
- Wikipedia's article - Purkinje cells
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