Premium
On the Structure of the Avian Maculae
Author(s) -
Jørgensen J. Mørup,
Andersen T.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1973.tb00447.x
Subject(s) - anatomy , biology
The maculae of the labyrinths of several avian species were examined. The striola of the macula utriculi and lagenae is tri‐zonal, consisting of two zones of hair cells type I (HC I) located on each side of a middle zone of hair cells type II (HC II). An exception is the mute swan, in which the macula utriculi has a striola consisting of one broad zone of HC I. The macula sacculi is, in its central part, mainly consisting of HC I, and the striola does not have a tri‐zonal structure. The hair cells in the macula utriculi are polarized with their kinociliar end oriented towards the striola , while in the macula sacculi and lagenae they are oriented away from this dividing line. A varying number, from 1 to 12, of HC I are enclosed within the same nerve chalice. The macula sacculi seems to contain chalices with slightly more HC I than the two other maculae do.