[Cartilaginous torus epithelium of the vomeronasal organ of swine and sheep].

The vomeronasal organ consists of receptor cells of microvillous type, supporting and basal cells. According to their ultrastructural organization the microvillar cells are analogous to those in the main olfactory organ in the pig and have all signs of the receptor cell: microvilli at the top and centrioles in cytoplasm, as well as the central process getting off the cell body. Both in the pig and in the sheep the supporting cells contain in their apical region a number of basal bodies with cilia, getting them off. In the receptor zones of epithelium albuminous glands predominate, in the respiratory zones--mucous ones. A great amount of liquid mucus, excreted on the surface of the epithelium by numerous glands and supporting cells, apparently, facilitates adsorption and desorption of odorous molecules from the receptor cells after their stimulation. The cilia of the supporting cells probably from the stream of the vomeronasal mucus. The cartilagenous torus epithelium of the vomeronasal organ of the pig and sheep has in general a similar structural organization. This demonstrates general for Vertebrata receptor mechanisms of odorous substances, evidently connected with perception of feramones or contact olfaction.