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Cochlear nerve of the alligator lizard
Author(s) -
Mulroy Michael J.,
Oblak Thomas G.
Publication year - 1985
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/cne.902330405
Subject(s) - efferent , anatomy , biology , major duodenal papilla , stereocilia (inner ear) , free nerve ending , horseradish peroxidase , efferent nerve , commissure , cochlear nerve , afferent , cochlea , neuroscience , hair cell , biochemistry , enzyme
The innervation of the auditory organ of the alligator lizard is described. Patterns of distribution of the nerve fibers were studied at the light microscopic level with the horseradish peroxidase technique, and the types of synaptic contacts with hair cells were studied at the transmission electron microscopic level with standard techniques. The innervation of the two regions of the basilar papilla differs in the following ways. In the apical region, some fibers send branches along the length of the basilar papilla, and both afferent (non‐vesiculated) and efferent (vesiculated) nerve endings are present. In the basal region, all fibers terminate in the immediate area where they enter the papilla without sending branches along the length of the papilla; efferent endings are lacking, and nerve fibers are of a smaller average diameter. The punctate nature of the innervation of hair cells in the basal region is consistent with the hypothesis that the systematic organization according to frequency sensitivity observed in electrophysiological recordings from basal nerve fibers may be related to the length of the stereocilia on the hair cells with which the nerve synapses.