[Innervation of the lungs in vertebrates and man]

The adrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the lungs have been studied by means of Falck and Koelle methods in amphibia (Rana temporaria), reptile (tortoise), vertebrates (white rat, domestic cat) and in the man. It has been found that as the structure and function of the lungs become more complicated, their innervation apparatus structure becomes more complex with increasing number of the adrenergic and cholinergic components in it. The distribution density of the adrenergic and cholinergic neural fibers in the lungs increases from the lower vertebrates to the higher ones. The distribution density of the cholinergic neural fibers in the bronchial wall decreases with diminishing of their caliber.