Winning Image Caption:
Providing a close look at one small section of the rat's cerebellum, this image won first place in the 28th Annual Nikon International Small World Photomicrography Competition. The black area running horizontally through the image is the separation between two folds of the cerebellum. The green stain represents a calcium channel that plays an important role in proper neuronal function and is highly enriched in neurons called Purkinje cells. Seen near the top and bottom of the image, with their greenish-blue cell bodies lined up in rows, each Purkinje cell branches out like a tree to form over 200,000 synaptic connections with other neurons. The blue dots represent the cell's DNA-containing nucleus. The red-stained glia are cells that provide physical and nutritional support for neurons. Click here for 300 dpi jpg.
Whole Image of Rat's Cerebellum:
This fluorescence image of a slice of whole rat cerebellum has been stained for three important brain proteins. The green represents a calcium channel found in large neurons called Purkinje cells. The red areas are a protein called GFAP, which is found in brain cells called glia. The blue represented the DNA in the cell nuclei of both neurons and glia. The cerebellum, located in the back portion of the brain, is involved in the coordination of muscles and maintenance of bodily equilibrium. The winning image was a portion of this larger image.
Click here for 300 dpi jpg.
