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Nerve cell culture. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of new growth from a cultured sample from a spinal cord. The numerous branching strands are neurites, processes growing out of the nerve cell body (not seen). These connect to other neurites from other nerve cells, forming a network of nervous tissue. A neurite is either an axon or a dendrite, the former transmitting nerve impulses away from the nerve cell body, while the latter transmits nerve impulses towards the nerve cell body. Research into curing spinal paralysis uses nerve tissue cultures to investigate methods of promoting neurite growth and neural regeneration. Magnification unknown. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/STEVE GSCHMEISSNER)