Perineurium
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Perineurium | |
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Transverse section of human tibial nerve. (Perineurium labeled at upper right.) | |
Nerve structure | |
Gray's | subject #183 728 |
MeSH | Perineurium |
Dorlands/Elsevier | p_13/12627709 |
In the spinal cord, nerve fibers are each wrapped in a protective sheath known as the endoneurium. These are bundled together into groups known as fascicles, each surrounded by a protective sheath known as the perineurium. Several fascicles may be in turn bundled together with a blood supply and fatty tissue within yet another sheath, the epineurium. This grouping structure is analogous to the muscular organization system of epimysium, perimysium and endomysium.
The perineurium is composed of connective tissue, which has a distinctly lamellar arrangement consisting of roughly 7-8 concentric layers. The perineurium is cellular, and is composed of perineurial cells, which are epithelioid myofibroblasts. Perineurial cells are sometimes referred to as myoepithelioid due to their epithelioid and myofibroblastoid properties including tight junctions, gap junctions, external laminae and contractility.
The perineurium, is a smooth, transparent tubular membrane which may be easily separated from the fibers it encloses. In contrast, the epineurium is a tough and mechanically resistant tissue which is not easily penetrated by a needle.
[edit] External links
- Perineurium at eMedicine Dictionary
- Histology at OU 1_03 - "Peripheral nerve"
- Organology at UC Davis nervous/pns/nerve1/nerve2 - "PNS, nerve (LM, Low)"
- Histology at BU 21401loa
- Diagram at Howard
- Histology at ucla.edu