Quantitative light and electron microscopic studies on the lateral hypothalamus in rat. Cell and synaptic densities

Cell and synaptic packing densities and the synapse/cell ratios were determined for the lateral hypothalamus of the rat. A quarter of a million neurons were found in this area each having approximately 16000 synapses. Of the approximately 3700 million synapses of the lateral hypothalamus 82% is axodendritic and 16% axosomatic.