Vomeronasal Organ (Jacobson's Organ)

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 1651-1657 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Gillingham ◽  
David L. Clark

Cinematographic analysis of the open-mouthed tongue flick of rat snakes (Elaphe) revealed elevation of the anterior processes following tongue retraction into the lingual sheath. The ventral surface of the tongue makes contact with these processes on each retraction and these processes are directly aligned with Jacobson's (vomeronasal) organ in the roof of the mouth. Scanning electron microscopic examination of the anterior process surface reveals an increased surface area through oblique ridges. Experimental removal of these structures prevents open-field detection of food odors in garter snakes (Thamnophis). These data indicate that this structure is the vehicle for transfer of substances to Jacobson's organ during snake chemosensation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-184
Author(s):  
A. R. Omar ◽  
A. I. Dakrory

Abstract The montpellier snake, Malpolon monspessulana, used in the current work in order to study the nervi terminalis and vomeronasalis. The vomeronasal organ or Jacobson’s organ is a part of the olfactory apparatus. This organ is innervated by the terminal and vomeronasal nerves. These nerves emerge from the sensory epithelium of Jacobson’s organ simultaneously. The bundles of the terminal and vomeronasal nerves traverse together the cavity of the nasal capsule in their way to the brain. These nerves bear scattered ganglionic cells which represent the ganglion terminale. They leave the capsule through the foramen olfactorium advehens. The terminal and vomeronasal nerves are connected with the olfactory nerve and enter the olfactory formation of the forebrain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 383 (1) ◽  
pp. 387-393
Author(s):  
Madlaina Boillat ◽  
Alan Carleton ◽  
Ivan Rodriguez

Abstract Variations in gene expression patterns represent a powerful source of evolutionary innovation. In a rodent living about 70 million years ago, a genomic accident led an immune formyl peptide receptor (FPR) gene to hijack a vomeronasal receptor regulatory sequence. This gene shuffling event forced an immune pathogen sensor to transition into an olfactory chemoreceptor, which thus moved from sensing the internal world to probing the outside world. We here discuss the evolution of the FPR gene family, the events that led to their neofunctionalization in the vomeronasal organ and the functions of immune and vomeronasal FPRs.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1462
Author(s):  
Daisuke Kondoh ◽  
Yusuke Tanaka ◽  
Yusuke K. Kawai ◽  
Takayuki Mineshige ◽  
Kenichi Watanabe ◽  
...  

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects specific chemicals such as pheromones and kairomones. Hedgehogs (Eulipotyphla: Erinaceidae) have a well-developed accessory olfactory bulb that receives projections from the VNO, but little is known about the hedgehog VNO. Here, we studied the histological features of the VNO in five individual African pygmy hedgehogs by hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, and Alcian blue stains. The hedgehog VNO comprises a hyaline cartilage capsule, soft tissue and epithelial lumen, and it branches from the site just before the incisive duct opening into the nasal cavity. The soft tissues contain several small mucous (or mucoserous) glands and a large serous gland, and many venous sinuses all around the lumen. The VNO lumen is round to oval throughout the hedgehog VNO, and the sensory epithelium lines almost the entire rostral part and medial wall of the middle part. These findings indicate that the VNO is functional and plays an important role in the hedgehog. Notably, the VNO apparently has a characteristic flushing mechanism with serous secretions like those of gustatory glands, which the hedgehog might frequently use to recognize the external environment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 55-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Besoluk ◽  
E. Eken ◽  
S. Bahar

The aim of this study was to reveal the branches of the descending palatine artery, and its relation to the vomeronasal organ inAngoragoats. For this purpose, ten heads of adultAngoragoats obtained from a slaughterhouse were used. The ramifications of the latex enjected descending palatine artery and their vomeronasal organ-related findings were revealed by fine dissection and transverse sections. Arterial blood reached the caudally vomeronasal organ primarily via the sphenopalatine artery, and also cranially via a fine branch of the major palatine artery by crossing the palatine fissure. The average diameters of both the descending palatine artery and its branches were thicker on the left side than on the right, and its ramifications were not variable in this species.


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