Gravity receptors:  an ultrastructural basis for peripheral sensory processing.
Our ultrastructural study of serial sections has shown that type II hair cells of the anterior part of the utricular macula are integrated into the afferent neural circuitry of type I cells, which are arranged in clusters.  Additionally, there exists a complex system of intramacularly originating efferent-type nerve fibers and terminals.  The findings taken together suggest that, on morphological grounds, complex processing of sensory information occurs in gravity receptors.  Asymmetry of such a complex system may contribute to motion and Space-motion sickness.
Ross
M D
MD
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, USA.
Donovan
K
K
D008267:Acoustic Maculae / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D018466:Gravity Sensing / Q000502:physiology*; D018069:Hair Cells, Vestibular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000294:innervation / Q000648:ultrastructure*