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 Concept Videos

Neurons: The Cell Body and the Dendrites01:23

Neurons: The Cell Body and the Dendrites

9.5K
A typical nerve cell comprises three main components: the cell body, dendrites, and the axon. The cell body, also known as the soma or perikaryon, serves as the central biosynthetic hub housing a nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm containing organelles commonly found in most cells. Notably, Nissl bodies, clusters of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and free ribosomes responsible for protein synthesis, are distinctive features of the neuronal cell body. As neurons age, aggregates of a brown pigment...
9.5K
Neuron Structure01:31

Neuron Structure

235.2K
Overview
235.2K
Neuron Structure01:30

Neuron Structure

20.5K
Neurons are the main type of cell in the nervous system that generate and transmit electrochemical signals. They primarily communicate with each other using neurotransmitters at specific junctions called synapses. Neurons come in many shapes that often relate to their function, but most share three main structures: an axon and dendrites that extend out from a cell body.
Structure and Function of Neurons
The neuronal cell body—the soma— houses the nucleus and organelles vital to...
20.5K
Neurons as Communicators of the Brain01:22

Neurons as Communicators of the Brain

4.0K
Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, function as the primary transmitters of information throughout the body. Their ability to communicate through electrical and chemical signals is vital for every bodily function, from regulating the heartbeat to processing complex thoughts. Each neuron has three main components: the cell body (soma), dendrites, and an axon, each specialized to facilitate swift and efficient neural communication.
Cell Body
The cell body, also known...
4.0K
The Neuromuscular Junction01:19

The Neuromuscular Junction

21.5K
The nervous system consists of complex motor neuron circuits, including upper motor neurons originating from the cerebral cortex and lower motor neurons starting in the spinal cord, coordinating both voluntary and involuntary movements. Among these, somatic motor neurons activate skeletal muscles and are classified into alpha, beta, and gamma types. Alpha neurons are vital for voluntary movement coordination, while gamma neurons adjust muscle spindle sensitivity, and the function of beta...
21.5K
Nervous Tissue: Neuron Types01:19

Nervous Tissue: Neuron Types

7.3K
Neurons, the fundamental units of the nervous system, can be classified based on both their structural and functional characteristics.
Structurally, neurons are categorized into three main types: multipolar, bipolar, and unipolar (or pseudounipolar). Multipolar neurons, which are the most common type in the brain and spinal cord, as well as all motor neurons, possess multiple dendrites and a single axon.
Bipolar neurons, on the other hand, have one primary dendrite and one axon. They are...
7.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Revisiting the clastosome: a stress-induced nuclear proteolytic compartment of mammalian cells.

Frontiers in neuroanatomy·2026
Same author

Lymphoid Organ Architecture and Hematopoiesis Disruption in Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Therapeutic Rescue by SMN Restoration.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026
Same author

Mitochondria and Lipid Defects in Hereditary Progranulin-Related Frontotemporal Dementia.

Cells·2026
Same author

Ultrastructural analysis of transjugular biopsies in MASLD reveals core hepatocellular stress and cytoskeletal adaptations.

Revista espanola de enfermedades digestivas·2026
Same author

Cajal's organization of neuronal nucleus revisited.

Frontiers in neuroanatomy·2025
Same author

Intercomparison of personal and ambient neutron detectors used for radiation protection in a synchrotron-based proton therapy facility: experimental and Monte Carlo results.

Physica medica : PM : an international journal devoted to the applications of physics to medicine and biology : official journal of the Italian Association of Biomedical Physics (AIFB)·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Juxtasomal Biocytin Labeling to Study the Structure-function Relationship of Individual Cortical Neurons
10:36

Juxtasomal Biocytin Labeling to Study the Structure-function Relationship of Individual Cortical Neurons

Published on: February 25, 2014

14.1K

Cajal bodies in neurons.

Miguel Lafarga1, Olga Tapia1, Ana M Romero1

  • 1a Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular and "Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)" , Universidad de Cantabria-IDIVAL , Santander , Spain.

RNA Biology
|September 16, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Cajal bodies (CBs) are crucial nuclear organelles in neurons, essential for RNA processing and ribosome production. Their disruption is linked to neurological disorders like spinal muscular atrophy.

Keywords:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosisCajal bodycoilinneurodegenerationneuronsnucleoluspre-mRNA splicingsnRNPspinal muscular atrophysurvival motor neuron

More Related Videos

Substructure Analyzer: A User-Friendly Workflow for Rapid Exploration and Accurate Analysis of Cellular Bodies in Fluorescence Microscopy Images
14:28

Substructure Analyzer: A User-Friendly Workflow for Rapid Exploration and Accurate Analysis of Cellular Bodies in Fluorescence Microscopy Images

Published on: July 15, 2020

8.4K
Primary Culture of Neurons Isolated from Embryonic Mouse Cerebellum
08:09

Primary Culture of Neurons Isolated from Embryonic Mouse Cerebellum

Published on: October 26, 2019

22.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Juxtasomal Biocytin Labeling to Study the Structure-function Relationship of Individual Cortical Neurons
10:36

Juxtasomal Biocytin Labeling to Study the Structure-function Relationship of Individual Cortical Neurons

Published on: February 25, 2014

14.1K
Substructure Analyzer: A User-Friendly Workflow for Rapid Exploration and Accurate Analysis of Cellular Bodies in Fluorescence Microscopy Images
14:28

Substructure Analyzer: A User-Friendly Workflow for Rapid Exploration and Accurate Analysis of Cellular Bodies in Fluorescence Microscopy Images

Published on: July 15, 2020

8.4K
Primary Culture of Neurons Isolated from Embryonic Mouse Cerebellum
08:09

Primary Culture of Neurons Isolated from Embryonic Mouse Cerebellum

Published on: October 26, 2019

22.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Santiago Ramón y Cajal discovered nuclear structures, including the Cajal body (CB).
  • CBs are nuclear organelles involved in ribonucleoprotein (RNP) assembly for RNA splicing, ribosome biogenesis, and telomere maintenance.
  • Modern research, initiated in the 1990s, focuses on CBs using coilin and small nuclear RNA (snRNA) probes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent decades of research on Cajal bodies (CBs) in post-mitotic neurons.
  • To highlight the dynamic functions and importance of CBs in neuronal health and disease.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on Cajal bodies in neurons.
  • Focus on transcription-dependent nuclear organelles and their association with the nucleolus.
  • Analysis of CB composition in mature neurons and their role in cellular processes.

Main Results:

  • Cajal bodies (CBs) are prominent in neurons, often associated with the nucleolus.
  • Neuronal CBs are transcription-dependent and dynamically regulate splicing and ribosome biogenesis to meet neuronal demands.
  • Mature neurons contain CBs rich in coilin, survival motor neuron protein, and snRNPs.

Conclusions:

  • Cajal bodies (CBs) are vital nuclear organelles in neurons, supporting essential functions like RNA splicing and ribosome biogenesis.
  • The number and function of CBs dynamically adapt to neuronal activity.
  • Disruption or loss of CBs is associated with severe neurological disorders, including motor neuron diseases like spinal muscular atrophy.