Figure 1. Smooth muscle.

Smooth muscles, also called visceral

muscles are the major component blood vessels as well as various
tracts and their associated organs. The cells are characteristically
elongated, tapering, and unstriated. The nucleus is found singularly in
the middle of the cell and is also elongated but assumes a cork-screw
shape upon contraction. Compared to skeletal and cardiac muscles,
individual smooth muscle cells are difficult to distinguish due to lack
of striations and uniform staining. This morphology may be attributed
Nuclei
to the less organized thick and thin filaments that do not form
myofibril bindles. Smooth muscle cells also have dense bodies
attached to thin filaments, intermediate filaments, and adhesive
Inner Layer : circular junctions that allow for units to contract for better efficiency and force.
(cross section)

Outer Layer: elongated

(longitudinal section)
 Nucleus

Endomysium

Cross-striations

Nucleus

Intercalated Disk

Endomysium

A B
 myofibers

Mesodermal progenitor Skeletal

cells myoblast myocytes

Figure 4. Stages of muscle development. Muscle cells begin as undifferentiated

mesodermal progenitor cell that become myoblast. These uninucleate myoblasts
form more elongated cells called the myocytes. These myocytes then align and
attach to form cardiac and smooth muscles or fuse together to form multinucleated Cardiac
myotubules. Differentiation of the cells are dependent on the location of the cell
during development as well as the growth factors present.

Smooth
 Stellate cell

Basket cell

M
Molecular
Granule cells layer
I

Intermediate layer G

Purkinje cell
Granule cell
layer
WM

White Matter
Figure 1. Brain sagittal section Cresyl violet stain (A) and Golgi stain(B). (A: 40x, B: 40x)
The cerebellum is divided into two main parts: the white matter containing myelinated nerv
gray matter which is further divided into three layers- the outer molecular layer, intermediate
cell layer. The molecular layer is composed of stellate and basket cells that are associated w
cells from other layers. In the intermediate layer are noticeable large nerve cells called Pu
A
have branching primary dendrites. Surrounding the white matter is the granule layer of h
Molecular Layer Granule cell

Outer Granular Layer

Granule cell

Pyramidal Layer

Pyramid cell

Inner Granular Layer

Inner Pyramidal Layer

Pyramid cells

Polymorphic Layer

Spindle-shaped cell

White matter Figure 1. Brain sagittal section Cresyl violet stain (A) and Golgi stain(B). (A: 40x, B: 40x)
The cerebrum is also composed of white matter and gray matter that is subdivided into several lay
not have distinct boundaries but have different predominant cell types. The outermost molecu
characterized by granule cells as well horizontal cells. Granule cells as shown in (B) appear like
Figure 1. Spinal cord cross section. (4x). The spinal cord is composed of the butterfly-shaped gray matter
surrounded by white matter. Also visible are the meninges that are subdivided into dura, arachnoid and pia
maters. The structure displays bilateral symmetry around the central canal which develops from the lumen of
the neural tube and contain cerebrospinal fluid. The lining of the central canal is called the ependymal layer
and is composed of columnar or cuboidal ependymal cells. The dorsal gray columns are also called the
posterior horns while the ventral gray columns the anterior horns. In the ventral gray columns are large motor
neurons whose soma appear round or pyramidal; the axons of these neurons from the ventral roots of spinal
nerves. Perivascular space

Subarachnoid space
Dorsal Gray
Column Pia matter
Dura matter

(White Matter) Arachnoid Layer

Central Canal

Ventral Gray
Column

Motor neurons
 Nerve Fibers
Capsule cell

Perikaryon

Blood vessel

Nerve Fibers

Capsule cell

Nucleus

Perikaryon

Lipofuscin
 Granule cell

Pyramidal cell
Purkinje cell
Inverted cell of
Martinotti

Horizontal cell