Frontiers in Neuroanatomy (Feb 2012)
The dendritic density field of a cortical pyramidal cell
Abstract
Much is known about the computation in individual neurons in the cortical column. Also, the selective connectivity between many cortical neuron types has been studied in great detail. But due to the complexity of this microcircuitry its functional role within the cortical column remains a mystery. Some of the wiring behavior between neurons can be interpreted directly from their particular dendritic and axonal shapes. Here, I describe the dendritic density field as one key element that remains to be better understood. I sketch an approach to relate dendritic density fields in general to their underlying potential connectivity schemes. As an example, I show how the characteristic shape of a cortical pyramidal cell appears as a direct consequence of connecting inputs arranged in two separate parallel layers.
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