Spinal cord, Nissl substance (20x objective lens)

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This medium magnification view of a section from the spinal cord shows neurons and neuroglia cells stained with cresyl violet, a basic stain. The neurons are the very large cells with a large, lightly stained nucleus containing a single, prominent darkly stained, basophilic nucleolus. The cytoplasm is filled with darkly stained basophilic structures called Nissl bodies, which correspond to the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). The elongated extensions from the neuronal cell body (soma) are dendrites, which can be seen because they contain RER. Axons are not stained because they lack RER.

 

The cells are surrounded by the darkly stained (basophilic) nuclei of glia cells. Note that the glia cell nuclei are smaller than the nucleoli of the neurons. The large open spaces around the neurons are shrinkage artifacts.

 

Stain = cresyl violet (Nissl stain)

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