[Morphologic characteristics of neuroglioform cells in the visual cortex of various mammals (rat, guinea pig, alticola and cat). A Golgi study].

Neuroglioform cells have been studied and compared in visual cortex of rat, guinea pig, alticola and cat in Golgi-material. These neurons possess a distinct morphological pattern, a dense and strictly local dendritic field with many short, fine and radiated dendrites which highly branch near the soma and a very dense axonal plexus of thin, varicose and sinuous branches. Neuroglioform cells were identified in all species and in all laminae of visual cortex. Some features, the size of the soma and the size of the axonal arborization vary among the species. We found small, medium sized and large somata. In general, the axons are confined to the vicinity of the dendritic field, but they can extend to considerable distances beyond it. The form of the soma and the dendritic surface were found to be typical for special species, so the form of the soma in guinea pig neuroglioform cells can be of different size, especially unregularly. In rodents the dendrites bear spines, but the dendrites of the cat are smooth.