Observations on the morphology of intracellularly stained gamma-motoneurons in relation to their axon conduction velocity.
Hindlimb gamma-motoneurons of adult cats were stained intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase. The gamma-motor-axons had intramedullary diameters between 2.0 micron and 2.4 micron and lacked recurrent collaterals. The conduction velocity of the gamma-motor-axons (20-29 m/sec) was close to what could be predicted from the relationship between conduction velocity and intramedullary diameter of much thicker adult alpha-motor-axons. However, the gamma-motor-axons were conducting much faster than alpha-motor-axons of 1-week-old kittens in spite of the fact that these two types of axons had about the same dimensions intramedullarly.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D009047:Motor Neurons, Gamma / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013997:Time Factors
D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase