Single unit response of posterior semicircular nerve of the frog

Abstract

Extracellular unitary response of isolated posterior ampullary nerve of the frog were recorded. The relation between spontaneous discharge rate and the response pattern for the stimulus of ampullofugal endolymphatic volume displacement was investigated. The response pattern for volume displacement was classified phasic or tonic. In 35 units recorded, 8 units showed phasic response and 27 units responded tonically. Six units out of 8 which showed phasic response had highand regular spontaneous discharge rate and 22 units out of 27 which tonically responded had low on irregular spontaneous discharge rate. And many units which had high and regular spontaneous firing showed complicated response pattern. These results suggest a variety of ampullary nerve network and its distribution pattern among the related receptors.