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Motor nuclei of nerves innervating the tongue and hypoglossal musculature in a caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona), as revealed by HRP transport
Author(s) -
Schmidt Andrea,
Wake David B.,
Wake Marvalee H.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19960701)370:3<342::aid-cne5>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - biology , anatomy , tongue , hypoglossal nerve , amphibian , brainstem , neuroscience , pathology , medicine , ecology
The organization of the motor nuclei of the glossopharyngeal, vagal, occipital, first spinal and second spinal nerves of Typhlonectes natans (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliaidae: Typhlonectinae) was studied by using horseradish peroxidase reaction staining. Each nucleus has discrete patterns of cytoarchitecture and of topography. Nuclei are elongate and some overlap anteroposteriorly. The brainstem is elongate, with no distinct demarcation of brainstem from spinal cord. The occipital nerve emerges through a separate foramen from that for the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves in the species studied, is distinct from both, and its nucleus is more similar to spinal nuclei in cytoarchitecture. The occipital nerve fuses with spinal nerves 1 and 2 to contribute to the hypoglossal trunk. A spinal accessory nerve is absent. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.