Neuropile (Noun)
Meaning
The complex network of unmyelinated axones, dendrites, and glial branches that form the bulk of the central nervous system's grey matter and in which nerve cell bodies are embedded.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The neuropile is an intricate web of nerve fibres and supporting cells that process and transmit vast amounts of information throughout the brain and spinal cord.
- In insect brains the neuropile is particularly well-organized, with distinct regions for different sensory inputs.
- Damage to the neuropile can have severe consequences, including paralysis and cognitive impairment.
- Researchers have long been fascinated by the complex interactions that occur within the neuropile, and have developed sophisticated imaging techniques to study it in detail.
- The neuropile in vertebrates is found in the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and other regions of grey matter.