The Attachment of the Cupulae, Otolith and Tectorial Membranes to the Sensory Cell Areas

Tectorial Membrane and Otolithic Membrane of Pigeon Inner Ear. A Scanning Electron Microscope Study

“…However, the regularity of the reticular pattern on the surface as found in the present SEM study seems to deny the effect of arbitrarily falling lysosomes from the tegmentum vasculosum. These holes might rather be the a previous TEM study (IURATO, 1960 The findings on the cell-hair-tectorial membrane arrangement of the basilar papilla revealed by the present SEM study fully support the findings of previous TEM studies (JAHNKE, LUNDQUIST and WERSALL, 1969;TAKASAKA and SMITH, 1971;DOHLMAN, 1971). The longest hairs and the fine fibrils which connect the tectorial membrane and the supporting cells appear to work together in shearing the sensory hairs when vibration stimulates the basilar papilla.…”

“…Such a relationship in the inner ear of the bird, mainly in the cochlea, has previously been studied by light and transmission electron microscopes (TEM) (HELD, 1926;JAHNKE, LUNDQUIST and WERSALL, 1969;ROSENHALL, 1970;TAKASAKA and SMITH, 1971;DOHLMAN, 1971). Recent application of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to the biological field is adding new insights to hitherto known facts which have been accumulated through the classical studies.…”

“…DOHLMAN (1971) stated that the holes found on the upper surface of the tectorial membrane of the pigeon were probably the result of the melting effects of lysosome enzymes having fallen down from the light cells in the overhanging tegmentum vasculosum. However, the regularity of the reticular pattern on the surface as found in the present SEM study seems to deny the effect of arbitrarily falling lysosomes from the tegmentum vasculosum.…”

BODIPY-Conjugated Xyloside Primes Fluorescent Glycosaminoglycans in the Inner Ear of Opsanus tau

“…This high turnover may reflect the importance of a kinociliary glycocalyx to sensory transduction in vestibular organs. Additionally, BX-GAGs were observed within the translucent area above the hair cells, which has previously been described as thsubcupular space (Dohlman 1971), This lend further evidence that this space is not void but rather contains structural and potentially physiologically important functional carbohydrate-rich connective material (Santi and Anderson, 1986;Silver et al, 1998). Fig.…”

“…Evidence of GAG-related glycoconjugates, glycocalyces, and structures in the inner ear first appeared in the mid-twentieth century (reviewed by (Go et al 2011). Dohlman (1971) reported electron microscopy studies describing a veil, which stained positive for mucopolysaccharides. This veil was identified in the organ of corti surrounding stereocilia hair bundles and extending to the tectorial membrane.…”