Suprachiasmatic nucleus: numbers of synaptic appositions and various types of synapses. A morphometric study on male and female rats.
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of male rats was estimated contain 16 X 10(6) synaptic appositions (unilaterally) or 250 X 10(6) appositions in 1 mm3 tissue of the nucleus with an average of 1404 appositions per neuron. There are significantly fewer synaptic appositions in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of female rats (15 X 10(6) per SCN or 236 X 10(6) in 1 mm3 tissue of SCN with 1264 appositions per neuron on an average). Additionally, numbers of various types of synapses (axo-somatic, invaginated, dendrodendritic and optic) are estimated.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008959:Models, Neurological; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012737:Sex Factors; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*