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Branched Structure Analysis: Each Tree

Morphometric features

  

Breaks down the results for each tree by centrifugal branch order. All segments of a given branch order for a given tree are grouped together.

Example: if a specific tree (a dendrite or axon) has 3 segments that are third-order branches, these 3 segments will be totaled and averaged in the results. See Branch Order Characteristics for details about the various types of branch order classifications.

 

Analysis results

ClosedLength total

Total length for all branches in the tree with the same branch order.

ClosedSurface Area

Computed by modeling each branch as a frustum (truncated right circular cone).

ClosedVolume

Computed by modeling each branch as a frustum (truncated right circular cone).

ClosedNodes

The nodes are computed according to the number of segments of that order ending in nodes and the degree of the node.

A node is assigned to the segment leading to the node.

Degrees (0, 1, 2, >2):

ClosedSpine

Quantities are computed for all spines, then broken down according to the spine classification used when placing spines in Neurolucida.

ClosedEndings (N, H, L, I, O, M, G)

The numbers of endings are counted according to their type (i.e., normal, high, low, incomplete, origin, midpoint, and generated).

The types were selected while tracing.

Normal Ending (N) Default
High Ending (H)

Ending located at the top of the current section. Depending on the orientation of the sections, the process may continue into another section.

  • Use the Z Meter to determine the Z value of the ending.
Low Ending (L) Ending located at the bottom of the current section.
Incomplete (I) Use to label arbitrary endings, endings that disappear for unknown reasons, endings that should be audited later..
Origin Ending (O)

Indicates the directionality of the tree.

  • Use this setting if you have been tracing towards the cell body and find that your "ending" is actually the beginning of the process.

Neurolucida Explorer keeps track of directionality to apply branch orders.

Midpoint (M) Ending of a long branch that is indeterminate at the time it is placed.

Also see Individual Tree analysis.

 

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