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AAT Bioquest

What are the differences between anterograde and retrograde tracers?

Posted January 10, 2024


Answer

Anterograde and retrograde tracers are two types of neuronal tracers. The main difference between the two is that anterograde tracers enter neuronal cell bodies at the site of injection and travel down the length of the axon to terminal processes, while retrograde tracers travel in the reverse direction, from the terminal processes of the axons back to the cell body. 

Additional resources

A Student’s Guide to Neural Circuit Tracing

Cell Signaling Pathways

Amplite® Colorimetric Sphingomyelinase Assay Kit *Blue Color*