The tectorial membrane of the lizard ear: Types of structure

✍ Scribed by Ernest Glen Wever

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1967
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 996 KB
• Volume: 122
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0362-2525
• DOI: 10.1002/jmor.1051220403

✦ Synopsis

This study is concerned with the forms of the tectorial membrane in the lizard ear and its manner of attachment to the ciliary tufts of the hair cells. These structures and their variations were observed in 20 species representing eight fam- ilies of lizards.

Three forms of tectorial membrane were found, a continuous form that extends throughout the length of the auditory papilla, a n abbreviated form that reaches the papilla only in one region, and a dendritic f o r m that is particularly narrow at first and then branches extensively to supply all the hair cells.

Occasionally the lower edge of the tectorial membrane makes direct connections with the hair tufts. More often there are special connecting structures between the membrane and the hair tufts. Seven types of these structures were identified, as follows: (1) simple fibers, ( 2 ) open network, (3) heavy network, ( 4 ) fiber plate, (5) finger processes, (6) sallets, and (7) remote connections. These types of tectorial connections are described and illustrated.