The spinal cord (housed within the spinal canal of the vertebral column) and the brain (protected within the neurocranium) make up the “central nervous system”.

Learning outcomes

After viewing the histological images and interactive text in this module you should be able to recognize the following structures:

• Neuron

cell body.
Nissl substance.
dendrite.
nucleus.
nucleolus.

• Nervous tissue

white matter.
gray matter.
neuropil.
astrocyte.
oligodendrocyte.
ependymal cell.
microglial cell.
endothelial cell.

• Spinal cord

dorsal horn.
ventral horn.
lateral horn.
motor neuron.
interneuron.
central canal and ependymal lining.
nerve rootlets.

• Cerebellum

cortex.
molecular layer.
Purkinje cells.
granule cell layer.
granule cells.

• Cerebrum

pyramidal cells.
astrocytes.

• Meninges

dura.
subdural space.
arachnoid.
subarachnoid space.
pia.

• Ventricles

ependymal cells.
choroid plexus.