Golgi-Cox studies on the chicken diencephalon

Observations of neurons in the Golgi-Cox stained diencephalon in chickens revealed that the nucleus rotundus, corpus geniculatum laterale ventrale, nucleus entopeduncularis inferior and nucleus ovoidalis have well-defined boundaries whereas the other cell groups have ill-defined boundaries. Large, round cell bodies of the nucleus rotundus have very fine dendrites running straight in all directions. In contrast, neurons of the corpus geniculatum laterale ventrale have about two thick dendrites which always emerge at their dorsal and ventral poles and course vertically. Neurons of the nucleus entopeduncularis inferior, which shows the most specific pattern in the diencephalon, are mutually entwined and form net-like meshes. Most of the diencephalic neurons show a radiating type, but the hypothalamic neurons seem to be a subtype of this since they typically exhibit fewer and longer dendrites.