February Image Contest

Description: The white matter (dark area in this image) within the cerebellum is called Arbor Vitae (= Tree of Life), which is covered by a three-layered cerebellar cortex. Inner to outer: 1) Granular layer containing various cells and fibers (green dotted area); 2) Purkinje cell layer, which contains large Purkinje cells (red, the fruits of our tree); and 3) Molecular layer, which is filled by extensions from Purkinje cells called dendritic trees (see right top image). Moreover, cerebellar nuclei (CN, reddish masses deep within the trunk of our tree), are the main output center of the cerebellum that send axons outside the cerebellum through the superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP).