Neuronal Markers

The basic functional unit of the nervous system are neurons. The average human brain contains around 100 billion neurons. Studying neuronal functioning often requires the identification of neurons in either cell cultures or neural tissue. Neurons can be distinguished from other neural cell types (e.g. microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes) by the immunodetection neuronal-specific proteins. Immunodetection of markers can also be used to detect the distinct morphological areas of neurons (e.g. dendrite, axon, synapse, and growth cone), as well as identify which neurotransmitter they release. R&D Systems offers a range of research tools needed for the identification of neuronal markers.