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JOHN KERSHMAN, M.D., M.Sc.

Arch Neurol Psychiatry. 1939;41(1):24-50.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The existence of microglia as a cell group in the central nervous system was first described by del Rio Hortega in 1919 and has been universally accepted. However, the origin of these cells and their relation to neuroglia¹ has remained controversial.

Certain authors have maintained that microglia and neuroglia have a common origin from the neuroepithelium of the primitive medullary canal. On the other hand, Hortega and many others have expressed the belief that microglia cells are derived from mesenchymal cells and have no direct genetic relationship to astrocytes and oligodendroglia cells. This difference is fundamental and of great significance in understanding the biologic functions of these cells.

With few exceptions, all previous embryologic studies on microglia have been made on laboratory animals. In the present work, the origin and evolution of these cells were traced in a series of human embryos. It was possible to demonstrate that microglia . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
MONTREAL, CANADA

From the Montreal Neurological Institute.

Footnotes
The words "pathologic," "embryologic" and "morphologic" are used in order to conform to the terminology which is compulsory for publication in the Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry. The author would prefer to use the words "pathological," embryological" and "morphological."