Cajal (Golgi) stain is primarily used to visualize which aspect of neurons?

• A. Neuronal morphology and dendritic arborization
• B. Nuclei only
• C. Glial cells only
• D. Synaptic vesicles

Answer: (A)

The Golgi/Cajal stain is a silver impregnation method that labels only a small subset of neurons, staining the entire cell body plus its processes. This makes the full morphology of individual neurons visible, including the soma, dendritic tree, and the long axon, so you can study how dendrites branch and connect in space. That focus on neuronal architecture is why it’s the best choice here. It doesn’t specifically highlight nuclei, glial cells, or tiny synaptic vesicles; nuclei often aren’t well defined with this stain, glial cells aren’t the primary target, and vesicles are far too small to resolve with light microscopy.