The Purkinje Cell

Abstract

The apparent simplicity of the cerebellar cortex reflects in part the small number of neuronal types comprised in it. Most descriptions credit it with only five types of nerve cells: Purkinje cells, granule cells, basket cells, stellate cells, and Golgi cells. The first three of these classes are remarkably homogeneous, but the last two probably include several subtypes each, as has been indicated by RAMÓN Y CAJAL (1911). Nevertheless, stellate and Goigi cells have not received as 'thorough study as the others. Probably a sixth cell type, the Lugaro cell, should be added to this list. Despite the small number of cell types, the cerebellar cortex includes examples of the largest and the smallest, the most complex and the simplest kinds of neurons in the central nervous system, as well as cells from the middle range of the spectrum. In this and the following chapters, each cell type will be considered in turn and will be described as completely as possible with the information available at present.