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Purkinje cell
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Purkinje cell Diagram of a human brain showing a median sagittal section, highlighting the fourth ventricle and cerebellum in the hindbrain, with labeled anatomical structures including the pons, medulla oblongata, and central canal of the spinal cord.
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Purkinje cell
Purkinje cell A Purkinje cell that has been isolated from a mouse brain, injected with fluorescent dye, and imaged using confocal microscopy.

Purkinje cell

anatomy
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History

Purkinje cell, large neuron with many branching extensions that is found in the cortex of the cerebellum of the brain and that plays a fundamental role in controlling motor movement. These cells were first discovered in 1837 by Czech physiologist Jan Evangelista Purkinje. They are characterized by cell bodies that are flasklike in shape, by numerous branching dendrites, and by a single long axon. Most Purkinje cells release a neurotransmitter called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which...

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