Quantitative Analysis of Three-Dimensional Structures in Neuroanatomy

Abstract

It is almost certain that a complete understanding of the nervous system requires a thorough knowledge of all its qualitative ‘dimensionless’ aspects (which are its components, how are they connected, what is the transmitter involved etc.) and a good deal of quantitative, 3-dimensional information about number, length, sizes, connectedness etc. of all these cells, nuclei, and major or minor bundles of connections, which are the constituents or structural components of the nervous system. It is algo rather obvious that the discovery-phase is the primary one — but discoveries of new cells, transmitters and nuclei are only first steps towards understanding functions — quantitation of all these components at the cellular or at the ultrastructural level is almost inevitable for understanding fully the complex function of their aggregate.