Purkinje cells

Purkinje cells
nerve cells found in great numbers in the cortex of the cerebellum. The cell body is flask-shaped, with numerous dendrites branching from the neck and extending fanwise among other cells towards the surface and a long axon that runs from the base deep into the cerebellum.
J. E. Purkinje (1787-1869), Bohemian physiologist

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1. large neurons in the cerebellar cortex that have piriform cell bodies in the Purkinje layer (the stratum purkinjense corticis cerebelli) and large branching dendrite trees going through the outer (molecular) layer towards the surface. 2. cells of the Purkinje fibers of the heart; they are large, clear, tightly packed cells with many gap junctions between them and thus conduct impulses rapidly.

Purkinje cells (monkey cerebellum), with long, branching dendrites.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Purkinje cells — nerve cells found in great numbers in the cortex of the cerebellum. The cell body is flask shaped, with numerous dendrites branching from the neck and extending fanwise among other cells towards the surface and a long axon that runs from the base …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • Purkinje cells fibers etc. — Pur·kin·je cells, fibers, etc. (pər kinґje) [Jan Evangelista Purkinje, Czech physiologist, 1787–1869] see under cell, fiber, figure, network, phenomenon, system, and vesicle and see stratum purkinjense corticis cerebelli …   Medical dictionary

  • Purkinje cell — Infobox neuron neuron name = Purkinje cell image neuron = PurkinjeCell.jpg caption neuron = Drawing of pigeon Purkinje cells (A) by Santiago Ramon y Cajal location = Cerebellum function = inhibitory projection neuron neurotranmitter = GABA… …   Wikipedia

  • Purkinje, Jan Evangelista — born Dec. 17, 1787, Libochovice, Bohemia died July 28, 1869, Prague, Czech. Czech experimental physiologist. He discovered the Purkinje effect (as light decreases, red objects appear to fade faster than blue ones), Purkinje cells (large branching …   Universalium

  • Purkinje afterimage — Pur·kin·je afterimage (.)pər kin jē n a second positive afterimage in a succession of visual afterimages resulting from a brief light stimulus and appearing most distinctly in a hue complementary to that of the original sensation Pur·ky·ne or… …   Medical dictionary

  • Purkinje , Johannes Evangelista — (1787–1869) Czech physiologist Born at Libochovice (now in the Czech Republic), Purkinje began studying to be a priest but changed to medicine and graduated MD from Charles University, Prague, in 1819. He became professor of physiology and… …   Scientists

  • Purkinje — noun Bohemian physiologist remembered for his discovery of Purkinje cells and the Purkinje network (1787 1869) • Syn: ↑Jan Evangelista Purkinje, ↑Johannes Evangelista Purkinje • Instance Hypernyms: ↑physiologist …   Useful english dictionary

  • Purkinje — n. family name; Johannes Evangelists Purkinje (1789 1869), Bohemian physiologist who discovered the Purkinje cells and the Purkinje network …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Purkinje fibers — modified cardiac fibers composed of Purkinje cells, occurring as an interlaced network in the subendocardial tissue and constituting the terminal ramifications of the conducting system of the heart. The term is sometimes used loosely to denote… …   Medical dictionary

  • Purkinje's cells — Pur kin*je s cells [From J. E. Purkinje, their discoverer.] (Anat.) Large ganglion cells forming a layer near the surface of the cerebellum. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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