Intercellular relationships in the external glial limiting membrane of the neocortex of the cat and rat

The external glial limiting membrane of the cerebral cortex appears to be a complete astrocytic mantle covering the pial surface of the molecular layer. It consists of flattened cell bodies arranged singly or in small groups spaced about 100 μ apart and multitudes of interdigitating processes arrayed in layers. The glial mantle is thicker in the sulci than on the gyri. It is covered externally by a basal lamina which is associated with collagenous fibrils and cells of the pia mater. The extracellular space in aldehyde-perfused material appears as a regular, electron-lucent interval 150 A wide between adjacent cell membranes. Gap junctions are frequently encountered in the external glial limiting membrane; desmosomes are present between astrocytic processes but are seen much less often.