Quantitative Computed Tomography and Histological Analysis of Carnivoran Turbinates

食肉动物鼻甲骨的定量计算机断层扫描和组织学分析加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校和蒙乃尔化学感觉中心的Blaire货车Valkenburgh和Nancy Rawson哺乳动物的鼻子有一个复杂的骨架，由三个薄如纸的骨卷组成，称为鼻甲骨。最大和最复杂的是上鼻甲，它在调节呼吸空气和减少水分流失方面起着关键作用。 在它们的上面和/或后面是筛鼻甲骨，其功能是嗅觉。 最小的是相对简单的鼻甲骨，位于上鼻甲上方，功能不确定。在大多数哺乳动物中，鼻甲及其腔室的体积占头部体积的三分之一到一半，但我们对它们的解剖结构以及它们在物种之间的大小和排列方式的差异知之甚少。 考虑到复杂的鼻甲骨似乎存在于已知最早的哺乳动物中，并且与哺乳动物的两个基本特征，嗅觉和恒温（温血）有关，值得注意的是，对它们的了解如此之少。 这是因为它们隐藏的内部位置和微妙的结构使它们难以研究。然而，高分辨率CT扫描（HRCT）的最新进展打开了发现哺乳动物鼻甲骨结构的大门。 对狗和猫的初步研究表明，鼻甲骨可以用HRCT可视化，首次完整地显示这些结构。拟议的研究将扩展和改进之前的工作，包括研究更广泛的哺乳动物物种、开发复杂的图像分析软件来量化鼻甲骨结构，以及对覆盖鼻甲骨的组织进行组织学分析，以区分嗅觉和呼吸区域。这项研究汇集了解剖学家，组织学家和计算机科学家，首次对任何哺乳动物的鼻子进行了定量概述，整合了组织学和骨骼数据。为今后进一步研究鼻甲功能奠定了基础。 毫无疑问，关于鼻甲骨功能（嗅觉和呼吸）的一些最有趣的问题涉及通过鼻子的流量方面。空气是如何进入或离开嗅觉区的？ 在有氧运动中，是否有可能引导空气以最大限度地增加流量，或减少流量以加强水和热量的保护？ 这项研究将首次记录哺乳动物鼻甲骨的基本解剖框架，并为理解哺乳动物（包括人类）的鼻功能和嗅觉和呼吸障碍提供必要的基本信息。研究生和本科生将通过这个项目进行培训。CT扫描将被输入Digimorph图书馆，因此将向公众和更广泛的科学界开放。PI计划开发这项研究的各个方面，供洛杉矶贫困地区的教师使用。学校科学课程。

Quantitative Computed Tomography and Histological Analysis of Carnivoran TurbinatesBlaire Van Valkenburgh and Nancy RawsonUniversity of California-Los Angeles and Monell Chemical Senses CenterThe snout of a mammal houses a complex skeleton made up of three paper-thin scrolls of bone known as the turbinates. The largest and most intricate are the maxilloturbinates, which play a critical role in conditioning respired air and minimizing water loss. Above and/or behind them lie the ethmoturbinates, which function in the sense of smell. The smallest are the relatively simple nasoturbinates that lie above the maxilloturbinates and are of uncertain function. Collectively, the turbinates and their chambers make up a third to a half of the volume of the head in most mammals, and yet we know very little about their anatomy and how they vary in size and arrangement among species. Given that complex turbinates appear to be present in the earliest known mammals and are associated with two fundamental features of mammals, olfaction and endothermy (warm-bloodedness), it is remarkable that so little is known about them. This is because their hidden, internal location and delicate structure make them difficult to study. However, recent advances in high-resolution CT scanning (HRCT) opened the door to discovery of mammalian turbinate structure. Preliminary studies on dogs and cats show that turbinates can be visualized with HRCT, revealing these structures in their entirety for the first time. The proposed research will expand and improve upon this previous work, including study of a wider array of mammal species, development of sophisticated image analysis software to quantify turbinate structure, and a histological analysis of tissues covering the turbinates that will distinguish olfactory versus respiratory regions. This study brings together anatomists, histologists, and computer scientists to produce the first quantitative overview of the nose that integrates both histological and skeletal data in any group of mammals. It will establish the groundwork for much future research on turbinate function. Undoubtedly, some of the most interesting questions about turbinate function (both olfactory and respiratory) concern aspects of flow through the nose. How is air directed to or away from olfactory areas? Is it possible to direct air to maximize flow during aerobic exercise, or to minimize flow to enhance water and heat conservation? This study will document the basic anatomical framework of mammalian turbinates for the first time, and provide fundamental information necessary for understanding nasal function and disorders involving smell and respiration in mammals, including humans. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained through this project. The CT scans will be entered into the Digimorph library, and will therefore be accessible to the public and broader scientific community. The PI has plans to develop aspects of this research for use by teachers in disadvantaged L.A. school science curricula.