The Mechanism of Secretion and Absorption of Endolymph in the Vestibular Appartus

Abstract

A light- and electronmicroscopie study of the specialized cells surrounding the haircell areas of the cristae ampullares and an electronmicroscopic study of the planum semilunatum cells, earlier shown to be secretory have been carried out. A viscous secretion produced in the haircell region probably by the supporting cells in indicated. This secretion seems to create the “subcupular space”. The cells on the slopes of the cristae are of two kinds:“dark”, osmiophilic cells and “light”, osmiophobic cells, Experiments have indicated that the dark cells are absorbing cells and that the light cells probably are secretory. The dark cells have been shown to transport Na⁺ ions, whereas the Cl- ions pass in the intercellular spaces.