title: A fractal analysis of cultured rat optic nerve glial growth and differentiation.
abstract: Fractal dimension can be used as a quantitative measure of morphological complexity. Separate, enriched populations of oligodendrocytes or type 2 astrocytes derived from neonatal rat optic nerves were allowed to differentiate in vitro. Fractal dimensions of differentiating glial cells were measured over time. The fractal dimension correlated with perceived complexity and increased in value as the glial cells matured. Analysis of the changes in fractal dimension with time revealed unique rates of growth and differentiation for each glial phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurophysiology, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Behar
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sheriff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008433:Mathematics; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers