Histogenesis of the cochlear nucleus of the mouse.

In Nissl-stained preparations of the cochlear nucleus there are nine recognizable cell types. These cells are born during three periods of histogenesis prenatally. On gestation days 10.0, 10.5, and 11.0 the pyramidal, giant, and dark-staining cells are born. The spherical, globular, multipolar, and horizontal cells are formed on gestation days 12.0, 12.5, and 13.0 and small cells follow on gestation day 14.5. The onset of granule cell formation is gestation day 14.5 continues to birth on gestation day 19. At birth, and for at least the first 2 postnatal weeks, glial cells are born. There are no regional gradients in cell birth dates, cells from all birth dates being intermixed. Cell birth proceeds in an orderly sequence that is related only to cell size. Although there were no apparent spatiotemporal patterns, some clustering of labeled cells was evident. These observations do not support the hypothesis that Golgi Type I cells precede Golgi Type II cells in their order of birth since both large and small neurons project beyond the nucleus. There is, nonetheless, a sequential pattern in the onset of cell birth for the auditory system, with cochlear nucleus neurons preceding cochlear neurons.