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Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Postsynaptic Recordings at Afferent Dendrites Contacting Cochlear Inner Hair Cells: Monitoring Multivesicular Release at a Ribbon Synapse
Published on: February 10, 2011
Encapsulated nerve corpuscles in the human tympanic membrane
Abstract:
Encapsulated nerve endings were found in both the subepidermal connective tissue and the lamina propria of a human tympanic membrane. The structure of the corpuscles was round or oval and contained a number of axon terminals with mitochondria and Schwann cell processes. Amorphous materials were present in the intercellular space. These features appear to be advantageous in transmitting mechanical forces on the capsule to the axon terminals and are comparable to the function of a mechanoreceptor. Resultant changes in the shape and stiffness of the tympanic membrane as the result of its dislocation indicate similar changes in the pressure on the corpuscle. The arrangement of the sensory corpuscles suggests that they may play a role in detecting pressure changes in the middle ear cavity.
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