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Patterns of afferent synaptic contacts in the alligator lizard's cochlea
Author(s) -
Mulroy Michael J.
Publication year - 1986
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.902480209
Subject(s) - cochlea , alligator , afferent , biology , hair cell , neuroscience , anatomy , free nerve ending , paleontology
Afferent synapses on both free‐standing and tectorial hair cells in the alligator lizard's cochlea are described quantitatively. Semiserial sections were photographed with a transmission electron microscope. Hair cells together with their afferent nerves were reconstructed and morphometrically analyzed with the aid of a computer. Each afferent nerve forms many synapses with its hair cell. Tectorial afferents make more than twice the number of synapses with their hair cells as do free‐standing afferents. This suggests a possible neuroanatomical basis for the physiological difference in synchrony reported in these two types of auditory nerve fibers; namely, the greater the number of synapses the better a fiber is able to follow faithfully the response of its hair cell.