The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 (of 4) : $b Separate memoirsBalfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Science
The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 (of 4) : $b Separate memoirs
Balfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Embryology; Zoology
The cells forming the nerve-rudiments have undergone slight modifications;
they are for the most part more distinctly elongated than in the earlier
stage, and appear slightly smaller in comparison with the cells of the
neural canal.
They possess as yet no distinctive characters of nerve-cells. They stain
more deeply with osmic acid than the cells around them, but with
hæmatoxylin there is but a very slight difference in intensity between
their colouring and that of the neighbouring connective-tissue cells.
The anterior roots have grown considerably in length, but their observation
is involved in the same difficulties with chromic-acid specimens as that of
the posterior rudiments.
There is a further difficulty in observing the anterior roots, which arises
from the commencing formation of white matter in the cord. This is present
in all the anterior sections of the embryo from which fig. F is taken. When
the white matter is formed the cells constituting the junction of the
anterior nerve-root with the spinal cord undergo the same changes as the
cells which are being converted into the white matter of the cord, and
become converted into nerve-fibres; these do not stain with hæmatoxylin,
and thus an apparent space is left between the nerve-root and the spinal
cord. This space by careful examination may be seen to be filled up with
fibres. In osmic acid sections, although even in these the white matter is
stained less deeply than the other tissues, it is a matter of comparative
ease to observe the junction between the anterior nerve root and the spinal
cord.
I have been successful in preparing satisfactory longitudinal sections of
embryos somewhat older than that shewn in fig. F, and they bring to light
several important points in reference to the development of the spinal
nerves. Three of these sections are represented in Pl. 22, figs. G1, G2,
and G3.
The sections are approximately horizontal and longitudinal. G1 is the most
dorsal of the three; it is not quite horizontal though nearly longitudinal.
The section passes exactly through the point of attachment of the posterior
roots to the walls of the neural canal.
The posterior rudiments appear as slight prominences of rounded cells
projecting from the wall of the neural canal. From transverse sections the
attachment of the nerves to the wall of the neural canal is proved to be
very narrow, and from these sections it appears to be of some length in the
direction of the long axis of the embryo. A combination of the sections
taken in the two directions leads to the conclusion that the nerves at this
stage thin out like a wedge before joining the spinal cord.
The independent junctions of the posterior rudiments with the spinal cord
at this stage are very clearly shewn, though the rudiments are probably
united with each other just dorsal to their junction with the spinal cord.
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