The neuronal structure of globus pallidus in bison bonasus: Nissl and Golgi study

The two subnuclei of globus pallidus have been investigated in the telencephalon of bison bonasus. The Nissl and Golgi procedures have been used to reveal their cellular organization. The Golgi preparation suggests the existence of two fairly divergent cellular subpopulations. The first class comprising the bulk of pallidal neurons consists of large efferent cells with long thick infrequently branching dendrites. The morphology of their dendritic processes is very complex and variable even in the one neuron (complex terminal endings, thin dendritic appendages, spiny segments, aspiny segments). Some of these structures (i.e. terminal endings, thin appendages) seem to be of presynaptic nature and allow one efferent neuron to influence on the functions of other large pallidal cells (interneuronal functions). The second one is composed of small interneurons with short highly arborized axons and thin varicose dendritic processes. Their distribution is very sparse and irregular in both segments of investigated nucleus.