[Early histogenesis in the cerebral cortex of the mouse: a Golgi analysis (author's transl)]

By the application of the rapid Golgi method to embryonic telencephalon, three stages can be distinguished in the early developmznt of the neocortex. Stage 1 is characterized by a neuroepithelium containing a continuously proliferating cell population. Stage 2 corresponds to the primordial cortical organization; the first neuronal (post-mitotic) cells appear in the external part of the neural tube and are differentiated in a predominantly horizontal pattern. Stage 3 begins when the cortical plate appears. This structure will give rise to the major part of the adult cortex. The cells of the cortical plate assume a typical radial orientation and their axons (afferent fibers) are well individualized. The afferent fibers however, are not easily analyzed by the technique employed. Those morphological findings are discussed in relation to various data from the literature in developmental neurology.