Cajal's Butterflies of the Soul

Javier DeFelipe, PhD is a Research Professor at the Instituto Cajal (CSIC) located in his hometown, Madrid, Spain.The particular expertise of Javier DeFelipe lies in the microanatomy of the cerebral cortex. Since 1991, the main focus of his team has been directed at understanding the neurochemical and microanatomical characteristics of the neocortex and of the hippocampal formation. The information that has been obtained regarding the normal organization of these cortical regions has been used to investigate the possible alterations that might occur in these structures in epilepsy and Alzheimer disease. Another of his principal interests is in the study of the history of our current understanding of important aspects of cortical organization and function. In particular, he is interested in the origins and the roots of cortical histology and circuitry.

• PART I: INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTORY REMARKS The beauties of the nervous system: neurons and glial cells A note on the illustration. A SKETCH HISTORY OF THE MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEMBEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF THE "REAZIONE NERA" SECTION 1 : THE BENEDICTINE PERIOD: THE EARLY DAYS Globules, granules, corpuscles (nerve cells): key elements of the nervous system Relationship between nerve cells and nerve fibers: development of microanatomical methods The reticular theory SECTION 2: THE BLACK PERIOD: NEURONS, GLIA AND ORGANIZATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM The discovery of the reazione nera The Golgi method, Cajal, Maestre de San Juan and Simarro Cajal's first study with the Golgi method: dendrites and axons end freely The neuron doctrine and the law of dynamic polarization of nerve cells Arrows in the illustrations: the direction of the nervous currents SECTION 3: THE COLORFUL PERIOD: INTERNAL STRUCTURE AND CHEMISTRY OF THE CELLS On the early use of selective colorants to study the nervous system The first explosion of colors: normal and altered cytology of neural cells The second explosion of colors: Fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy The third explosion of colors: the green fluorescent protein and the Brainbow CLOSING COMMENTS ON BRAIN AND ART BIBLIOGRAPHY PART II: GALLERY OF DRAWINGS SECTION 1. THE BENEDICTINE PERIOD: THE EARLY DAYS FIGURE LEGENDS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY SECTION 2. THE BLACK PERIOD: NEURONS, GLIA AND ORGANIZATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM FIGURE LEGENDS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY SECTION 3. THE COLORFUL PERIOD: INTERNAL STRUCTURE AND CHEMISTRY OF THE CELLS FIGURE LEGENDS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

Javier DeFelipe should be congratulated on assembling such a beautiful book about the earliest microscopic investigations of the nervous system conducated at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century...This book is a wonderful addition to the library of any neuroscientist or neurologist. It is worthy of attention of artists who enjoy the beauty of the natural world.