HA6-10: Spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia - H&E

In this low magnification image, you can see dorsal root ganglia ( D: HA6 ), as well as the ventral horn of the grey matter ( V: HA7 ). If you look at the ventral horns at higher magnification, the most prominent cells are the large, ventral motor horn cells ( HA7 ). During the preparation of this section, the myelin sheaths were extracted, so the white matter appears as a tight lattice of circular clear spaces. Bundles of myelinated and unmyelinated axons radiate out of the grey matter into the white matter.

In the grey matter, there are the huge cell bodies of motor neurons. The cytoplasm of these cells is filled with clumps of Nissl substance that stain intensely with hematoxylin ( HA8 , large cell at the center of the image, unlabeled). Scattered throughout the neuropil are the small, round, relatively euchromatic nuclei of astrocytes ( arrows: HA8 ), and the smaller, heterochromatic nuclei of oligodendroglia ( arrowheads: HA8 ).

The dorsal root ganglia are on either side of the spinal cord. They are characterized by groups of cell bodies of ganglion cells alternating with bundles of axons ( HA9 ). Prominent axon hillocks can be seen clearly in this image as eosinophilic regions at the side of some cell bodies ( arrow: HA10 ). The cell bodies of these cells are separated from the endoneurial connective tissue by satellite cells. Round satellite cell nuclei are visible around the perimeter of the larger cells ( arrowhead: HA10 ).