The Tree of Life (Arbor Vitae)
Monique Marylin Alves de Almeida
Microscopy image
Mouse cerebellar slice grown in culture shows myelin (green), a fatty protective sheath that coats neurons to allow faster neurotransmission. Oligodendrocytes are the only myelin-forming cells of the central nervous system. They populate the cerebellar white matter and the resulting shape resembles a tree, hence the common name of arbor vitae for the cerebellum. I wanted to show one of the most fascinating brain regions, which is largely affected in many neurodegenerative diseases.
