Dorsorostral snout muscles in the rat subserve coordinated movement for whisking and sniffing.
Histochemical examination of the dorsorostral quadrant of the rat snout revealed superficial and deep muscles that are involved in whisking, sniffing, and airflow control. The part of M. nasolabialis profundus that acts as an intrinsic (follicular) muscle to facilitate protraction and translation of the vibrissae is described. An intraturbinate and selected rostral-most nasal muscles that can influence major routs of inspiratory airflow and rhinarial touch through their control of nostril configuration, atrioturbinate and rhinarium position, were revealed.
Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. sebastian.haidarliu@weizmann.ac.il
Sebastian
S
Haidarliu
David
D
Golomb
David
D
Kleinfeld
Ehud
E
Ahissar
D000818:Animals; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009666:Nose / Q000294:innervation*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000502:physiology*