Mulroy M J
J Comp Neurol. 1986 Jun 8;248(2):263-71. doi: 10.1002/cne.902480209.
Afferent synapses on both free-standing and tectorial hair cells in the alligator lizard's cochlea are described quantitatively. Semiserial sections were photographed with a transmission electron microscope. Hair cells together with their afferent nerves were reconstructed and morphometrically analyzed with the aid of a computer. Each afferent nerve forms many synapses with its hair cell. Tectorial afferents make more than twice the number of synapses with their hair cells as do free-standing afferents. This suggests a possible neuroanatomical basis for the physiological difference in synchrony reported in these two types of auditory nerve fibers; namely, the greater the number of synapses the better a fiber is able to follow faithfully the response of its hair cell.
对钝吻鳄耳蜗中独立毛细胞和盖膜毛细胞上的传入突触进行了定量描述。用透射电子显微镜拍摄了半连续切片。借助计算机对毛细胞及其传入神经进行了重建和形态计量分析。每条传入神经与其毛细胞形成许多突触。盖膜传入神经与其毛细胞形成的突触数量是独立传入神经的两倍多。这表明这两种听觉神经纤维在同步性上的生理差异可能存在神经解剖学基础；也就是说，突触数量越多，纤维就越能忠实地跟随其毛细胞的反应。
