We did a primary culture of the hemispheres of a mouse, but it is possible that within the culture there are fibroblasts, so how can one distinguish between astrocytes and fibroblasts, specifically in morphology?
Hello Naila Monge Mata
Astrocytes are basically star-shaped structures with processes or tendrils that show extension from the cell and these processes could be short, long, crooked, straight, or highly branched or even simpler in shape. Some of the processes have vascular feet at their end. Also, in astrocytes the nucleus is round and have small or indistinct nucleoli.
On the other hand, fibroblasts are sturdier and they are large, basically flat, elongated (spindle-shaped) cells having processes extending out only from the ends of the cell body while in astrocytes these processes can extend from any part of the cell body. Also, in fibroblasts the cell nucleus is flat and oval.
I hope this will be helpful.
Best Wishes.
The complex morphology of reactive astrocytes controlled by fibroblast growth factor signaling
By: Kyungjoon Kang , Sung-Woong Lee
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