Under the microscope is a series I like to do on TikTok that educates people on what human matter looks like at a high level of magnification and how to point out scientific elements within those microscopic slides.
Neuropil is a term used to describe the mass of nerve cells and fibers in the brain. This area is responsible for processing information, controlling movement, and regulating emotions. The neuropil is also home to the blood-brain barrier, which helps protect the brain from harmful substances.
The blood-brain barrier is made up of an extensive network of blood capillaries that encircle blood vessels in the brain. This protective cover is very selective, allowing only certain items to pass between blood and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The blood-brain barrier makes it difficult for viruses or bacteria to enter the brain, while allowing only the nutrients blood provides to effectively reach neuronal cells.
Under the microscope: Brain Tissue and Neuropil (Tik Tok Transcript)
Today we are going to look at brain tissue under the microscope. Here is a microscope slide and you can see that pinkish purple material is actual brain tissue.
Now if you look at these pinkish red oval and circular areas here and here those are blood vessel everything else is the substance of the brain tissue itself.
If we go to high magnification we can see that little pink circle right there. That is a red blood cell and that is your size reference 1 red blood cell is 7 1,000 mL
Up here this is a longitudinal section of a capillary so kind of cut like a tube cut a long ways and this represents the blood-brain barrier.
At an even higher magnification see this lattice select material behind me here and here and here and everywhere that is neuropil. It represents the branches of the nerve bodies and the synapses is coming together.
At an even higher magnification three large purple cells here are the projection neurons.
What is neuropil?
Neuropil is the mass of nerve cells and fibers in the brain. You can see neuropil under a microscope at high magnification. It looks like a lattice-shaped material.
The blood-brain barrier has blood capillaries that encircle blood vessels in the brain. The blood-brain barrier is a virus protector for the brain, while allowing only nutrients blood provides to effectively reach neuronal cells.
What is the function of neuropil?
Neuropil is responsible for processing information, controlling movement, and regulating emotions. The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from harmful substances while only letting blood nutrients pass into the blood vessels.
Is neuropil connective tissue?
No, neuropil is not connective tissue. It is nerve cells and fibers that make up the brain.
Histology of neuropil
The neuropil is a region between neuronal and glial cell bodies that includes dendrites, axons, synapses, glial cell processes (including those of myelination), and microvessels.
Neuropil vs grey matter
Neuropil is a term used to describe the mass of nerve cells and fibers in the brain. Grey matter is made up of neuronal cell bodies, while white matter includes axons.
Summary
Neuropil is the mass of nerve cells and fibers in the brain. It is responsible for many uses of the brain including controlling emotions. Neuropil is also home to the blood-brain barrier, which helps protect the brain from harmful substances.