Functional Morphology of the Terminal Nerve -LHRH System

末梢神经是一种脑神经，存在于所有种类的脊椎动物中。在周围，这条神经连接到鼻上皮。很少有确凿的证据能告诉我们末梢神经的功能。然而，这条神经之前与感觉和运动功能有关，最近又与某些生殖过程的控制有关。一种假设是，该神经的化学感觉成分检测性信息素，并通过向控制性活动、生殖反射和促性腺激素分泌的大脑区域释放LHRH来促进生殖行为。利奥·德姆斯基博士一直在研究末梢神经，他将继续利用黄貂鱼末梢神经系统的独特特征，即它与嗅道的分离，以及它的大神经节，它的特征表明神经分泌直接进入脑血管。复杂的神经解剖学和发育技术将被用来定义末梢神经的精确功能。

The terminal nerve is a cranial nerve found in all classes of vertebrates. Peripherally, this nerve connects to the nasal epithelium. There is very little hard evidence which tells us the function of the terminal nerve. However, this nerve has been previously implicated in sensory and motor functions and just recently it has been implicated in the control of certain reproductive processes. One hypothesis is that the chemosensory component of this nerve detects sexual pheromones and facilitates reproductive behavior by releasing LHRH into brain areas controlling sexual activity, reproductive reflexes and gonadotropin secretion. Dr. Leo Demski has been studying the terminal nerve and will continue his work by taking advantage of unique features of the system in stingrays, its separation from the olfactory tract and its large ganglion which has characteristics suggesting neurosecretion directly into cerebral vessels. Sophisticated neuroanatomical and developmental techniques will be employed to define the precise functions of the terminal nerve.