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Qualitative and quantitative freeze-fracture studies on olfactory and nasal respiratory epithelial surfaces of frog, ox, rat, and dog

II. Cell apices, cilia, and microvilli

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Summary

The densities and diameters of intramembranous particles in olfactory and nasal respiratory structures of frog, ox, rat and dog have been compared using the freeze-fracture technique. Dendritic endings and the various segments of the cilia of the olfactory receptor cells of a given species have identical particle densities (700–1,800 particles/μm2 in P-and 100–600 in E-faces). Densities in P-faces of respiratory cilia are about 1/3 of those in the olfactory cilia. E-face particle densities of these respiratory cilia are often higher than P-face densities. Microvillus P-face densities range from 700–2,000 (respiratory cell microvilli) to 1,800–3,400 particles/μm2 (olfactory supporting and Bowman's gland microvilli). Microvillus E-faces show no conspicuous mutual differences. Literature comparisons showed that odour concentrations at threshold are considerably lower (105–1010 times) than the concentrations of olfactory receptor ending intramembranous particles (5 μM–30 μM) expressed in the same units.

Relative differences in particle distributions of the various cell structures studied are usually species-independent. Absolute values vary considerably with the species. Relative P-face particle densities of the supporting cell microvilli tend to correlate with those of dendritic ending structures. Particle diameters are usually similar for corresponding structures and fracture faces in the four species. Apical structures of supporting and Bowman's gland cells in rat and dog show rod-shaped particle aggregates in their P-and pits in their E-faces. Neither sex-dependency nor an influence related to physiological treatments on the particle distributions could be demonstrated.

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  1. Psychologisch Laboratorium, Rijksuniversiteit, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    M. Menco B. Ph.

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Menco, M. Qualitative and quantitative freeze-fracture studies on olfactory and nasal respiratory epithelial surfaces of frog, ox, rat, and dog. Cell Tissue Res. 211, 5–29 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233719

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