Cytoplasm
In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. The main components of the cytoplasm are cytosol – a gel-like substance, the organelles – the cell's internal sub-structures, and various cytoplasmic inclusions. The cytoplasm is about 80% water and usually colorless.
Zona limitans intrathalamica
Signaling from the ZLI cooperating with thalamic and prethalamic markers ensures the migration of post-mitotic (neural progenitor) cells to the mantle zone where the cells assemble into nuclei characteristic of the thalamus. These nuclei are the mechanism of the relay of information from the thalamus to the cortex. The thalamus itself is highly diverse, with each nucleus having distinct morphologies and physiologies according to the region of the brain to which it is connected. These differences are thought to originate in differential gene expression in the thalamus and prethalamus, which allows for a single structure with multiple different and separate functions once the two have merged and completed growth and differentiation. So a functional interplay between Shh from the ZLI and the bHLH factor Her6 (homolog to HES1) determines the neuronal identity within the thalamus: Her6 positive cells in the prethalamus and rostral thalamus differentiate into GABAergic inhibitory neurons, whereas her negative cells become glutamatergic relay neurons. Both cell types depend on Shh signal as trigger to initiate the developmental programme.