title: The postnatal growth of motoneurons at three levels of the cat neuraxis.
abstract: The postnatal growth of motoneuron cell bodies located in the brainstem, cervical and lumbosacral spinal cord was investigated using retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase in kittens ages 2, 12, 30, 55, 82 and 114 postnatal days and in an adult. The motoneurons innervating an extrinsic tongue muscle, the genioglossus, reached their adult size by eight weeks after birth. In contrast, the phrenic motoneurons innervating the diaphragm achieved adult size by 12 weeks and the motoneurons innervating the medial gastrocnemius muscle continued to grow beyond the twelfth postnatal week. The sizes of these motoneurons relative to one another remained constant during periods of development.
authors: Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA.
authors: W E
authors: WE
authors: Cameron
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Fang
authors: B S
authors: BS
authors: Brozanski
authors: R D
authors: RD
authors: Guthrie
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D002415:Cats; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000294:innervation; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D024510:Muscle Development; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation
chemical_list: D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase