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The localization of motoneuron pools innervating wing muscles in the chick

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Summary

Motoneuron pools supplying principal muscles of the shoulder girdle and wing were localized in the chicks 2–7 days post hatching with the use of retrograde axonic transport of horse radish peroxidase (HRP). HRP was injected into selected muscles and the animals sacrificed after 24 h survival. Labelled motoneuron pools representing individual muscles were found to be clustered in longitudinal columns along the brachial spinal cord segments 13–16. Muscles derived from the dorsal muscle mass were innervated by motoneurons located in the ventro-lateral portion of the horn, while those originating from the ventral muscle mass received innervation from neurons occupying the dorsomedial portion within the ventral horn of the spinal cord. The rostrocaudal extent of the motoneuron pools could be correlated with the proximodistal position of wing muscles.

The observed orderly topographical relationships between clusters of motoneurons of the brachial spinal cord and the muscles they innervate will be used as baseline data for experiments where the limb innervation is perturbed.

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Author notes

  1. David Tay

    Present address: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, The Flinders University of South Australia, 5042, Bedford Park, S.A., Australia

    Charles Straznicky & David Tay

  2. Department of Human Morphology, School of Medicine, The Flinders University of South Australia, 5042, Bedford Park, S.A., Australia

    Charles Straznicky & David Tay

Authors
  1. Charles Straznicky
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  2. David Tay
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Straznicky, C., Tay, D. The localization of motoneuron pools innervating wing muscles in the chick. Anat Embryol 166, 209–218 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305083

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305083

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