Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Microstructure of the neocortex: comparative aspects.

Javier DeFelipe1, Lidia Alonso-Nanclares, Jon I Arellano

  • 1Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Avenida Dr. Arce, 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain. defelipe@cajal.csic.es

Journal of Neurocytology
|June 20, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Quantitative anatomy and biophysical modeling of ascending neuromodulatory systems in the developing rat neocortex.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same author

The MacBrain Resource Center (MBRC) rhesus macaque postnatal brain histology datasets: Enabling new discoveries through NHP tissue and digital data Repositories.

Journal of anatomy·2026
Same author

Layer-specific cellular composition of mouse primary somatosensory and human temporal cortex: a direct 3D confocal counting approach.

Frontiers in neuroanatomy·2026
Same author

Updated Neuronal Numbers of the Rat Hippocampal Formation: Redesigning the Hippocampal Model.

Hippocampus·2026
Same author

Cajal's legacy in the digital era: from neuroscience foundations to deep learning.

Frontiers in neuroanatomy·2025
Same author

Mouse and human striatal projection neurons compared - somatodendritic arbor, spines and in silico analyses.

PLoS computational biology·2025
Same journal

GABA-immunoreactive neurons and terminals in the cat periaqueductal gray matter: a light and electron microscopic study.

Journal of neurocytology·2006
Same journal

Increase of NG2-positive cells associated with radial glia following traumatic spinal cord injury in adult rats.

Journal of neurocytology·2006
Same journal

Distribution of calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA 2) in monkey brain.

Journal of neurocytology·2006
Same journal

Immunogold study of effects of prenatal exposure to lipopolysaccharide and/or valproic acid on the rat blood-brain barrier vessels.

Journal of neurocytology·2006
Same journal

Reduction in parvalbumin expression in the zona incerta after 6OHDA lesion in rats.

Journal of neurocytology·2006
Same journal

Potassium currents in primary cultured astrocytes from the rat corpus callosum.

Journal of neurocytology·2006
See all related articles

The human neocortex evolved significantly, featuring repeating microcircuits. Despite variations in neuron types and numbers across species, conserved synaptic patterns suggest fundamental building blocks for brain evolution.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Comparative Anatomy

Background:

  • The neocortex's evolution, expansion, and differentiation are key in vertebrate brain development.
  • Understanding human neocortical uniqueness and its differences from other species is a central neuroscience question.
  • Neocortical circuits, though complex, are generally thought to comprise repeating microcircuits centered on pyramidal cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the similarities and differences in neocortical microcircuitry across species.
  • To explore how variations in neuronal subtypes, neuron density, and synaptology contribute to functional diversity.
  • To identify conserved elements that may represent fundamental building blocks of the cortex.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of neocortical neuronal elements and microcircuit organization.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of synaptic density, length, and neuron numbers across different cortical areas and species.
  • Investigation of layer-specific synaptology in human, rat, and mouse brains.

    • Main Results:

    • Neocortical neurons are organized into microcircuits with inputs from various systems, including excitatory and inhibitory neurons.
    • Significant variations exist in neuronal subtypes, neuron density, and synaptology across different cortical areas and species.
    • Despite variations, laminar-specific similarities in synapse characteristics (percentage, length, density, synapses per neuron) were observed.

    Conclusions:

    • Conserved laminar synaptic patterns suggest fundamental cortical building blocks across species.
    • Differences in microcircuit composition and neuron numbers likely reflect evolutionary adaptations for specific functions.
    • Variations in neocortical structure underscore the evolutionary plasticity and functional specialization of brain circuits.