V - Some features of the action of the utricular maculæ (and of the associated action of the semicircular canals) of the frog

Tait, Joyce; McNally, W. J.

doi:10.1098/rstb.1934.0019

Cited by 74 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…It has been shown that in the frog the utricles serve to stabilize the head [Tait and McNally, 1934]. It is difficult to see how this could be achieved unless these end organs made information rapidly available to the C.N.S.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Perception of Rhythmically Repeated Linear Motion in the Vertical Plane

Walsh

1964

Exp Physiol

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Using a modified Roberval balance that could be set to oscillate at different frequencies observations have been made on the sensations aroused by vertical motion. Thresholds for oscillations of i c/s and I c/s have shown that the peak acceleration needed is higher at the lower frequency. The phase relationships of the sensations are out of step with the motion of the balance. The view is put forward that the sensory system is concerned to a significant degree in detecting jolts.THE sensitivity of the human being to linear motion in a vertical direction has been studied very little. The author is aware of few records of sensitivity since the work of Mach [1875]. Such measurements might be expected to throw light on the behaviour of the otolith organs. In the experiments now being reported thresholds have been determined for reciprocating vertical movements. It might be supposed that threshold would be reached when a certain peak acceleration was attained. By the use of different rates of oscillation this simple hypothesis has been tested. A relationship of this type appeared to be true within certain limits for the perception of horizontal motion in the long axis of the body [Walsh, 1963]. Some attention has also been paid to the phase relationships between motion and sensation. METHODSThe apparatus ( fig. 1) was based on the balance described by Roberval [1670]. The type of motion was limited by the hinges thus eliminating unwanted oscillations.The apparatus was constructed from steam piping of ff-in. diameter. The weight of the main frame was taken on stub axles running in ball-bearings (A); the housings and races of the front wheels of a motor car were used. To reduce the possibility of vibration and frame-conducted sound reaching the subject, the three hinges (H1, H2, H3) were made from stout cloth. The rate of the oscillation depended on the position of the counterpoise weight (XW); the rhythm became slower if it were lifted. The rate could be increased by the use of springs. For some observations expansion springs were stretched between the ceiling and the frame, for others a helical compression spring was placed between the structure and the floor. The motion departed only slightly from strict linearity and there was no rotary element.The subject lay blindfolded on a plastic mattress. His face and body were covered to prevent currents of air striking the skin. He wore ear plugs or an "Amplivox" headband ear protector to reduce the distracting effects of ambient sound. The device was set in motion by hand so as to attain a swing that could clearly be detected by the subject. The oscillations thereafter continued, each being slightly smaller than its predecessor. The person called out the direction in which he felt himself moving. Eventually the motion could no longer be felt. Threshold 58

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Perception of Rhythmically Repeated Linear Motion in the Vertical Plane

Walsh

1964

Exp Physiol

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“…As this tonus asymmetry is accentuated by 410 FUNCTION OF OTOLITH ORGANS a tilt to the normal position, and is least noticeable when the animal comes to rest lying on its operated side, the conclusion was naturally reached that the otolith organ responsible for the perception of lateral tilts is maximally stimulated when the labyrinth is lowered. The findings of Tait & McNally (1934) in what they call the uni-soliutricular frogs, in which all labyrinthine receptors except one utriculus were eliminated by nerve cutting, also point towards ipsilateral preponderance of the anti-gravity muscles under the influence of the intact vestibular end organ. In agreement with this, allrecords obtained from the vestibular nucleus of the mammalian brain stem (Adrian, 1943) show increased impulse discharge on side-down tilting, which has been tentatively attributed to the activity of the ipsilateral sacculus.…”

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confidence: 92%

“…Although it is very tempting to adopt some such ad hoc scheme of explanation, it must be said that the pattern of functional integration is probably more complicated. A significant indication that this may be so, is the fact that Tait & McNally (1934), in their interpretation of elimination experiments on the frog's labyrinth, found themselves forced to abandon the prevailing idea that the otolith 'acts by a simple and uniform sliding descent from a higher to a lower level' and came to the conclusion that a 'hypothesis of a point-to-point independence of the elements composing the otolith organs is unavoidable'.…”

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confidence: 99%

The equilibrium function of the otolith organs of the thornback ray (Raja clavata)

Löwenstein¹,

Roberts²

1949

The Journal of Physiology

230

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During the oscillographic study of the mode of function of the semicircular canals of the ray (Lowenstein & Sand, 1940a, b), it became clear that the accessibility of the elasmobranch labyrinth and the satisfactory survival of preparations of the labyrinth in the isolated otic capsule opened up the possibility of an extension of the work to the otolith organs in the utriculus, sacculus and lagena. This has now been carried out in experiments described in the present paper. METHODSMale and female rays of a wing span of 15-24 in. were killed by decapitation, pithing, and removal of the brain. The cranium was then isolated and the labyrinth approached through the cartilage at the back of the orbit or from the ventral side. Text- fig. 1 shows a ventro-lateral view of the membranous labyrinth after a maximum exposure of the otolith organs. Openings into the perilymphatic space of a much smaller extent were made for the exposure of individual receptors. In the case of the utriculus the approach was made from the orbit, and nerve twigs from the utricular nerve fan were cut at its proximal end and peeled up towards the lateral margin of the macula. The ampullary nerve branches supplying the anterior vertical and horizontal canals were divided in order to avoid the intrusion of spurious ampullary discharges.In the case of the ramus inferior the posterior ampullary nerve is well out of the way, and the sacculus can thus be isolated by transection of the free-running branch supplying the lagena. The latter is fortunately long enough to allow isolated pure lagena twigs to be peeled off for electrical pick-up. A choice of the region of the sacculus macula to be recorded from was possible owing to the convenient fanning out of the saccular branches of the ramus inferior. Very small twigs could be isolated which, as a rule, contained only a few functional units, the number of which could be further reduced, often to a single functional fibre, by careful crushing of the twig or by its further subdivision by splitting.When the desired twig had been prepared it was picked up in a silver-plated forceps electrode, held in position by a number of rods connected to the preparation holder by rotary clamps. The second electrode was applied to some inner part of the cranium. The holder was then clamped to a tilting device (Text- fig. 2) with the 'nose' pointing in any desired direction. The apparatus was designed for tilting movements about any horizontal axis desired, smoothness of movement and constancy of speed being assured by the use of a 50: 1 reduction gear operated by hand. The wheel at the left was graduated into 360 degrees for the accurate reading of the tilting angle. The slotted

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“…In frogs with only one utricle intact, Tait and McNally (65) found diametrically opposed compensatory and anticompensatory reactions resulting from a slow or a quick tilt in the same direction around a horizontal axis. These authors suggested that this could only mean that the utricular macula, unlike the semicircular canals, furnishes two opposed modes of action.…”

Section: Functional Aspect Of the Polarization Of The Utricular Maculamentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure of the Macula Utriculi With Special Reference to Directional Interplay of Sensory Responses as Revealed by Morphological Polarization

Flock

1964

The Journal of Cell Biology

229

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The anatomy of the labyrinth and the structure of the macula utriculi of the teleost fish (burbot) Lota yulgaris was studied by dissection, phase contrast, and elcctron microscopy.The innervating nerve fibcrs end at the bottom of the sensory cells where two types of nerve cndings are found, granulated and non-granulated. The ultrastructure and organization of the scnsory hair bundles are described, and the finding that the receptor cells are morphologically polarized by the presence of an asymmetrically located kinocilium in the sensory hair bundle is discussed in terms of directional sensitivity. The pattern of orientation of the hair cells in the macula utriculi was determined, revcaling a complicated morphological polarization of the sensory epithelium. The findings suggest that the interplay of sensory responses is intimately related to the directional sensitivity of the receptor cells as revealed by their morphological polarization. The problem of efferent innervation is discussed, and it is concluded that the positional information signaled by the nerve fibers innervating the vestibular organs comprises an intricate pattern of interacting affcrcnt and cffcrent impulses

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V - Some features of the action of the utricular maculæ (and of the associated action of the semicircular canals) of the frog

Cited by 74 publications

References 3 publications

The Perception of Rhythmically Repeated Linear Motion in the Vertical Plane

The Perception of Rhythmically Repeated Linear Motion in the Vertical Plane

The equilibrium function of the otolith organs of the thornback ray (Raja clavata)

Structure of the Macula Utriculi With Special Reference to Directional Interplay of Sensory Responses as Revealed by Morphological Polarization

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