2.3. Bridging the gap: Molecular devices[[Student version, December 8, 2002]] 51
Figure 2.22:(Two-photon laser scanning micrograph.) Purkinje neuron of the brain. The neuron shown is alive
and surrounded by a dense network of other neurons; a fluorescent dye has been injected into the cell soma from the
micropipette at lower left to visualize only the one cell of interest. The dendritic tree of this neuron (shown) receives
over100 000 synaptic inputs on dendritic spines. The spines are visible as tiny bumps on the dendrites. Chapter 12
will discuss the transmission of impulses in neurons. [Digital image kindly supplied by K. Svoboda; see also (Svoboda
et al.,1996).]