Architecture of the Otolith End Organ: With Some Functional Considerations,

The otolithic membrane is extremely fragile and is easily destroyed by post-mortem changes, tonic change, strong chemicals, et cetera. The routine technique of temporal bone preparation usually includes the use of a strong fixative and decalcifier therefore, the structural preservation of this structure in histological slides is uncertain. An attempt was made to preserve the otolithic architecture as naturally as possible. In studying squirrel monkey temporal bones the results obtained with three different decalcifiers are compared. The best architectural preservation of the otolithic end organ was obtained after 10 formalin fixation, dehydration, celloidin embedding, and 10 EDTA decalcification. The morphological features of this end organ are discussed from the functional viewpoint. It is confirmed that, except for the otoconia, basically both otolith and semicircular canal end organs have almost similar components. Author