Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 24, Issue 2, 1 December 1970, Pages 257-269
Brain Research

Some quantitative aspects of myelination of the optic nerve in rat

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Abstract

To establish the rate of myelination in the rat optic nerve, a quantitative histological study was made on fixed nerves in developing animals. The physical parameters of length and cross-sectional area of the optic nerve, together with an estimate of the number of myelinated nerve fibres were determined in rats of known ages. The fibre diameter spectrum was also determined at 18, 41, and 70 days of age.

From these measurements the volume of myelin present in the optic nerve was computed for these ages. The volume of myelin in the nerves was found to increase steadily throughtout this period of post-natal development.

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