What is an axonal pathway?

What is an axonal pathway?

Axon guidance (also called axon pathfinding) is a subfield of neural development concerning the process by which neurons send out axons to reach their correct targets. Axons often follow very precise paths in the nervous system, and how they manage to find their way so accurately is an area of ongoing research.

What is axonal caliber?

Ganglion cell axons are unmyelinated within the retina and myelinated within the optic nerve, but in both locations axon caliber distributes nearly identically (Perge et al., 2009). The axons are medium caliber (mean, 0.64 μm).

What is an axonal arbor?

Each axonal arbor in the brain distributes information over some particular part of a neural circuit, a region called its “territory,” and each dendritic arbor samples the information available in its territory.

Why is axon guidance important?

Axons that have to form long-distance connections are cutting down their pathfinding into manageable steps; that is, they use intermediate targets on their way to the final target. These intermediate targets, or choice points, are crucial for axonal navigation by providing guidance cues.

Is axonal transport between nerve cells?

Axonal transport is the process by which nerve cells transfer substances between the cell body and axon tip. Axonal means anything relating to an axon. Cargoes can be delivered in two directions.

How long can axons be?

Some axons can extend up to one meter or more while others extend as little as one millimeter. The longest axons in the human body are those of the sciatic nerve, which run from the base of the spinal cord to the big toe of each foot.

Does the axon diameter change?

When considering a given axon, its diameter can further fluctuate in space and time, according to processes including the distribution of organelles and activity-dependent mechanisms.