What is the function of granule cells?

Granule cells are the smallest and most numerous type of neurons in the brain. They are involved in functions ranging from processing visual and motor information to learning and memory. Brain Bytes showcase essential facts about neuroscience.

What does granular cells mean?

The granular cell is a large polygonal, oval, or bipolar cell with abundant, fine, or coarsely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm, and a small, pale-staining or vesicular nucleus eccentrically located in the cell (Fig. 4.47B and C).

Which gene is important for migrating granule cells in the cerebellum?

Barhl1 regulates migration and survival of cerebellar granule cells by controlling expression of the neurotrophin-3 gene.

How many neurons are in the cerebellar granule cell?

(The term granule cell is used for several unrelated types of small neurons in various parts of the brain.) Cerebellar granule cells are also the most numerous neurons in the brain: in humans, estimates of their total number average around 50 billion, which means that they constitute about 3/4 of the brain’s neurons.

Where do cerebellar granule cells receive their excitatory input?

These granule cells receive excitatory input from mossy fibers originating from pontine nuclei. Cerebellar granule cells project up through the Purkinje layer into the molecular layer where they branch out into parallel fibers that spread through Purkinje cell dendritic arbors.

Where are the CGNPs located in the cerebellar granule?

In normal development, endogenous Sonic hedgehogsignaling stimulates rapid proliferation of cerebellar granule neuron progenitors (CGNPs) in the external granule layer (EGL).

Which is the smallest cell in the cerebellar cortex?

Cerebellar granule cellsform the thick granular layer of the cerebellar cortexand are among the smallest neurons in the brain. (The term granule cellis used for several unrelated types of small neurons in various parts of the brain.)