| Nervous tissue is composed of neurones and neuroglia (supporting cells closely related to the neurones) associated with vessels and connective tissue. This tissue is subdivided into two major compartments: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is composed of (a) the brain (cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata) lodged in the cranial cavity and (b) the spinal cord located in the vertebral canal of the vertebrae. The peripheral nervous system is outside the central nervous system. It is composed of nerves and groups of the cell bodies of neurones forming ganglia. Many ganglia are seen along the spine and are associated with the viscera.
This chapter presents the main histological characteristics of neurones and neuroglia, of nerves and ganglia, and of the grey and white matter of the central nervous system as seen by light microscope. It provides a brief description of the meninges in which the cerebrospinal fluid circulates at the surface of the central nervous system. The images presented thus constitute a preliminary introduction to the more detailed descriptions of the various types of neurones and their complex associations in the various compartments of the nervous systems. Such detailed descriptions are presented in neuro-anatomical textbooks.
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