The changing number of cells in the human fetal forebrain and its subdivisions: a stereological analysis.
The total number of cells--including both neurons and glial cells - was estimated in the neocortical part of the human fetal telencephalon in 22 normal brains within four major developmental zones: the cortical plate/marginal zone, the subplate, the intermediate zone and the ventricular/subventricular zone. The fetal ages ranged from 13 to 41 weeks of gestation. The cellular growth in the human fetal forebrain appears to be two-phased: one rapid, exponential phase from 13 to 20 weeks of gestation and a second and slower phase, which increases linearly, from approximately 22 weeks of gestation to term. From 13 to 20 weeks of gestation the total number of cells increases by a factor of 4.3 from 3 x 10(9) cells to 13 x 10(9) cells at 20 weeks of gestation. From mid-gestation to term, the total cell number increases by a factor of 2.9 to 38 x 10(9) cells in the newborn infant. Studying cellular growth in the normal human fetal brain is important since it may serve as a useful parameter for the assessment of cortical growth in non-invasive and histological studies, and thus improve the analysis of fetal brain disturbances.
Samuelsen
Grethe Badsberg
GB
Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bartholin Institute, Kommunehospitalet and Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Larsen
Karen Bonde
KB
Bogdanovic
Nenad
N
Laursen
Henning
H
Graem
Niels
N
Larsen
Jørgen Falck
JF
Pakkenberg
Bente
B
D001344:Autopsy; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008938:Mitosis; D009457:Neuroglia; D009474:Neurons; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors