Summary
The presence of a nerve located just caudal to the pineal gland in the mid-sagittal plane is demonstrated in sheep and rabbit fetuses. This nerve lies freely in the subarachnoid space and extends from the pineal gland to a region of the CNS located dorsal to the rostralmost part of the subcommissural organ (SCO). In rabbit fetuses the nerve is observed on days 23 and 24 of gestation; we suggest that it is an ontogenetic equivalent to the pineal nerve of anuran amphibians. The developmental fate of the mammalian fetal pineal nerve is discussed.
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Acknowledgement: The authors wish to thank Drs. N. Saunders, J. Reynolds and M. Reynolds, Department of Physiology, University College, London, for providing the sheep material.
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Møller, M., Møllgård, K. & Kimble, J.E. Presence of a pineal nerve in sheep and rabbit fetuses. Cell Tissue Res. 158, 451–459 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220212
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220212