Fig. 1.

Morphology of rat olfactory epithelium.A, Scanning electron micrograph of a freeze-dried preparation of rat olfactory epithelium showing mucociliary complex (MC), a single layer of epithelial supporting cells (S), the somata of olfactory sensory neurons (OSN), basal cells that form a reservoir of undifferentiated neurons (B), and submucosal tissue (SM) with connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerve bundles. Dendritic knobs cannot be seen at this magnification. Scale bar, 100 μm. B, Transmission electron micrograph of the mucociliary complex showing the boundary between supporting cells (S) and olfactory mucus (M). A dendritic knob can be seen with longitudinal (arrow) and transversal (arrowhead) sections of sensory cilia. Scale bar, 1 μm.