Confocal microscopy in chemical neuroanatomy.
The application of computer-assisted confocal laser scanning microscopy in chemical neuroanatomy is briefly reviewed and illustrated with examples taken mainly from morphological studies of neurons in the spinal cord of the lamprey, a lower vertebrate. The principle of operation of the confocal microscopy system used, with emphasis on the computer-controlled image data acquisition and further processing of the large image volumes, is described. The imaging characteristics of confocal laser scanning microscopy in combination with fluorescence labelling, in particular the capacity to perform three-dimensional reconstructions of high optical resolution, are also described and illustrated with projection images from different viewing angles and with stereo pair reconstructions. Different possibilities for image processing, e.g. surface shading and surface extraction, are also described and illustrated.
Wallén
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Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
D000818:Animals; D003201:Computers; D007798:Lampreys; D007834:Lasers; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D009445:Neuroanatomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology