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Structural polarities in mechanosensitive sensilla and their influence on stimulus transmission (arthropoda)

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The fine structural architecture of arthropod sensory hairs which had been identified as mechanoreceptive both electrophysiologically and by the presence of a tubular body were examined in serial sections.

  2. 2.

    In addition to the tubular body they are characterized by cuticular elements: a joint membrane, a socket septum and usually by suspension fibers too.

  3. 3.

    In all cases studied at least one of these elements forms the basis for a structural bilateral symmetry along whose plane of symmetry the direction line of the maximum receptor sensitivity lies.

  4. 4.

    The tubular body lies between the hair shaft and the socket septum or an equivalent structure. The hair shaft provides leverage to displace the tubular body and the socket septum (or its equivalent) limits the extent of the tubular body's lateral displacement.

  5. 5.

    The same elements and structural relationships were found in the insertion systems of other arthropod sensory hairs too which were identified by their tubular body but for which no electrophysiological evidence is available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologisches Institut der Universität, D-8400, Regensburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    Karl Peter Gaffal, Harald Tichy, Joachim Theiß & Günter Seelinger

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  1. Karl Peter Gaffal
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  2. Harald Tichy
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  3. Joachim Theiß
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  4. Günter Seelinger
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Additional information

These investigations have been generously supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Schwerpunktprogramm Rezeptorphysiologie) and by the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung in Österreich.

We are greatly indebted to Prof. Dr. H. Altner (Regensburg) for his support of this work and to Dr. R. Loftus (Regensburg) for critical reading the manuscript.

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Gaffal, K.P., Tichy, H., Theiß, J. et al. Structural polarities in mechanosensitive sensilla and their influence on stimulus transmission (arthropoda). Zoomorphologie 82, 79–103 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00993585

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