On Innervation of Taste-Buds ' in Larynx in Dog

Taste-buds are most abundant in canine larynx on the laryngeal side of epiglottis, next in plica ventricularis and the inside of cartilage arytaenoides. Some are also found in the glottid part and pars inter-cartilaginea rimae glottidis lined by stratified flat epithelium. The development of sensory nerves to the taste-buds is lower than in man. The sensory fibres originate in the subepithelial plexus, and most of them pass into unbranched or simple branched terminations, though some are found ending in simple glomerular or plexus-like terminations directly under the taste-buds. In rare cases, fibres are seen further penetrating into the taste-buds, to form intra- and extragemmal fibres. These sensory fibres are composed in most part of thick fibres, and a smaller number of fine fibres, the latter as well as the former being probably of sensory nature. The taste-buds are classified into those provided with both thick fibres and thin fibres (the most richly supplied type), those provided with only thick fibres, those provided with thin fibres only, and those that are lacking in all nerve supply. In man, the development of sensory nerves to taste-buds becomes worse as we go down from the laryngeal side of epiglottis to the caudal part of larynx, but in dog, this innervation is very disorderly. The most part of taste-buds in canine larynx is represented by those without sensory innervation.