Morphometric synaptology of gracilo-diencephalic relay cells: An electron microscopic study in the cat using retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase

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Abstract
Gracilo-diencephalic relay cells were identified with the aid of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. Section embedding permitted light-microscopic identification and selection of relay cells and adjacent unlabelled neurons for ultrastructural study. Electron-microscopic analysis of the boutons which contacted the perikaryal surface of the cells revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between bouton covering ratio and cell body size for both labelled and unlabelled neurons. Estimates of the density of boutons also showed a positive correlation between the size of the cell body and the density of terminals contacting its surface. The functional implications of these findings are discussed.