In cellular neuroscience, Nissl bodies (also called Nissl granules, Nissl substance or tigroid substance) are discrete granular structures in neurons that consist of rough endoplasmic reticulum, a collection of parallel, membrane-bound cisternae studded with ribosomes on the cytosolic surface of the membranes. Nissl bodies were named after Franz Nissl, a German neuropathologist who invented the staining method bearing his name (Nissl staining). The term "Nissl bodies" generally refers to discrete clumps of rough endoplasmic reticulum in nerve cells. Masses of rough endoplasmic reticulum also occur in some non-neuronal cells, where they are referred to as ergastoplasm, basophilic bodies, or chromophilic substance. While these organelles differ in some ways from Nissl bodies in neurons, large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum are generally linked to the copious production of proteins. "Nissl stains" refers to various basic dyes that selectively label negatively charged molecules such as DNA and RNA. Because ribosomes are rich in ribosomal RNA, they are strongly basophilic ("base-loving"). The dense accumulation of membrane-bound and free ribosomes in Nissl bodies results in their intense coloration by Nissl stains, allowing them to be seen with a light microscope. Nissl bodies occur in the somata and dendrites of neurons, though not in the axon or axon hillock. They vary in size, shape, and intracellular location; they are most conspicuous in the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brainstem, where they appear as large, blocky assemblies. In other neurons, they may be smaller, and in some (such as the granule neurons of the cerebellar cortex) very little rough endoplasmic reticulum is present. The pattern of coloration with Nissl stains once was used to classify neurons. For various reasons, this practice has largely ceased, but specific neuronal types do manifest characteristic types of Nissl bodies. The functions of Nissl bodies are thought to be the same as those of the rough endoplasmic reticulum in general, primarily the synthesis and segregation of proteins.

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Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the spinal cord, which contains cerebrospinal fluid. The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system (CNS). In humans, the spinal cord begins at the occipital bone, passing through the foramen magnum and then enters the spinal canal at the beginning of the cervical vertebrae.
Dendrite
A dendrite (from Greek δένδρον déndron, "tree") or dendron is a branched protoplasmic extension of a nerve cell that propagates the electrochemical stimulation received from other neural cells to the cell body, or soma, of the neuron from which the dendrites project. Electrical stimulation is transmitted onto dendrites by upstream neurons (usually via their axons) via synapses which are located at various points throughout the dendritic tree.
Motor neuron
A motor neuron (or motoneuron or efferent neuron) is a neuron whose cell body is located in the motor cortex, brainstem or the spinal cord, and whose axon (fiber) projects to the spinal cord or outside of the spinal cord to directly or indirectly control effector organs, mainly muscles and glands. There are two types of motor neuron – upper motor neurons and lower motor neurons. Axons from upper motor neurons synapse onto interneurons in the spinal cord and occasionally directly onto lower motor neurons.
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