Tonotopic projections of the auditory nerve to the cochlear nucleus angularis in the barn owl. 2001

C Köppl
Institut für Zoologie, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany. Christine.Koeppl@bio.tum.de

The nucleus angularis (NA), one of the two cochlear nuclei of birds, plays an important role in the processing of sound intensity. To begin investigating the NA in detail in the barn owl, which is a popular animal model for neural mechanisms of sound localization, a frequency map for this nucleus is presented here. Focal injections of horseradish peroxidase or neurobiotin were placed either in the NA or in the cochlear nucleus magnocellularis, labeling small groups of auditory nerve fibers of known characteristic frequency (CF) from 0.25 to 9.6 kHz. The courses of their axonal branches were used to construct a composite average map of the tonotopic frequency representation in the nucleus angularis. Nucleus angularis in the barn owl, as seen in frontal sections, resembles a sheet of cells bent approximately into an S shape. The lowest frequencies were found represented at the ventromedial extreme. The representation of increasingly higher frequencies then followed the S shape, with the highest frequencies located at the ventrolateral tip. Auditory nerve fibers of a given CF always entered the nucleus angularis within a well-restricted area and then traveled along their isofrequency band within the NA while branching off terminals. The isofrequency bands were typically slanted from caudo-ventro-medial to rostro-dorso-lateral. The basic tonotopic organization is comparable to that found in other birds, the major differences being the large size and unusual shape of the barn owl's nucleus angularis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009411 Nerve Endings Branch-like terminations of NERVE FIBERS, sensory or motor NEURONS. Endings of sensory neurons are the beginnings of afferent pathway to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Endings of motor neurons are the terminals of axons at the muscle cells. Nerve endings which release neurotransmitters are called PRESYNAPTIC TERMINALS. Ending, Nerve,Endings, Nerve,Nerve Ending
D009412 Nerve Fibers Slender processes of NEURONS, including the AXONS and their glial envelopes (MYELIN SHEATH). Nerve fibers conduct nerve impulses to and from the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Cerebellar Mossy Fibers,Mossy Fibers, Cerebellar,Cerebellar Mossy Fiber,Mossy Fiber, Cerebellar,Nerve Fiber
D009435 Synaptic Transmission The communication from a NEURON to a target (neuron, muscle, or secretory cell) across a SYNAPSE. In chemical synaptic transmission, the presynaptic neuron releases a NEUROTRANSMITTER that diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to specific synaptic receptors, activating them. The activated receptors modulate specific ion channels and/or second-messenger systems in the postsynaptic cell. In electrical synaptic transmission, electrical signals are communicated as an ionic current flow across ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES. Neural Transmission,Neurotransmission,Transmission, Neural,Transmission, Synaptic
D010898 Pitch Perception A dimension of auditory sensation varying with cycles per second of the sound stimulus. Perception, Pitch,Perceptions, Pitch,Pitch Perceptions
D001931 Brain Mapping Imaging techniques used to colocalize sites of brain functions or physiological activity with brain structures. Brain Electrical Activity Mapping,Functional Cerebral Localization,Topographic Brain Mapping,Brain Mapping, Topographic,Functional Cerebral Localizations,Mapping, Brain,Mapping, Topographic Brain
D003056 Cochlear Nerve The cochlear part of the 8th cranial nerve (VESTIBULOCOCHLEAR NERVE). The cochlear nerve fibers originate from neurons of the SPIRAL GANGLION and project peripherally to cochlear hair cells and centrally to the cochlear nuclei (COCHLEAR NUCLEUS) of the BRAIN STEM. They mediate the sense of hearing. Acoustic Nerve,Auditory Nerve,Acoustic Nerves,Auditory Nerves,Cochlear Nerves,Nerve, Acoustic,Nerve, Auditory,Nerve, Cochlear,Nerves, Acoustic,Nerves, Auditory,Nerves, Cochlear
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001306 Auditory Pathways NEURAL PATHWAYS and connections within the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, beginning at the hair cells of the ORGAN OF CORTI, continuing along the eighth cranial nerve, and terminating at the AUDITORY CORTEX. Auditory Pathway,Pathway, Auditory,Pathways, Auditory

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