Question

Explain these types of tracers:

1.) Retrograde-

2.) Anterograde-

3.)Metabolic-

Answer 1

The; 1. Retrograde, 2. Anterograde and 3. Metabolic tracers are fluorescent dyes i.e. tags that are used tracing neural connections from their point of termination i.e. the synapse to their source the cell body in case of the Retrograde. In case of Anterograde fluorescent dyes i.e. tags are used to study neural connections in their normal direction i.e. from dendrites to the cell body to axon to the next neuron. The metabolic tracers are the fluorescent dyes i.e. tags that are attached to the atoms of a metabolite in a metabolic pathway to study the course of the metabolic substrates in the pathway. For example the by using C14 we can trace the pathway of glycolysis.