| Title: | Ultrastructure of the human vomeronasal organ |
| Author(s): | Stensaas LJ; Lavker RM; Monti-Bloch L; Grosser BI; Berliner DL; |
| Address: | "Department of Physiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City" |
| Journal Title: | J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol |
| DOI: | 10.1016/0960-0760(91)90252-z |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0960-0760 (Print) 0960-0760 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Virtually all vertebrates have a vomeronasal system whose involvement in pheromone detection plays a crucial role in reproduction. In humans, the vomeronasal organ has been assumed to be vestigial or absent and without functional significance. In the present study involving over 400 subjects, vomeronasal pits were observed in all individuals except those with pathological conditions affecting the septum. Electron microscopy of the adult human vomeronasal organ indicates the presence of two potential receptor elements in the pseudostratified epithelial lining: microvillar cells, and unmyelinated, intraepithelial axons. In addition, unmyelinated axons are common in the lamina propria surrounding the organ. They appear to constitute the components essential for a functional chemosensory system, and may thus provide the basis for a pheromone detection system as in other animals" |
| Keywords: | "Adult Autopsy Axons/ultrastructure Chemoreceptor Cells/embryology/*ultrastructure Epithelium/ultrastructure Fetus/anatomy & histology Humans Microscopy Microscopy, Electron Nasal Septum/embryology/innervation/*ultrastructure Olfactory Pathways/embryology/;Animals;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineStensaas, L J Lavker, R M Monti-Bloch, L Grosser, B I Berliner, D L eng England 1991/10/01 J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1991 Oct; 39(4B):553-60. doi: 10.1016/0960-0760(91)90252-z" |
