title: Gravity receptors:  an ultrastructural basis for peripheral sensory processing.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, USA.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Donovan
mesh_terms: 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*