TY  - JOUR
A1  - ,  
T1  - Controversies on the human vomeronasal system
JO  - Eur. J. Anat.
SN  - 1136-4890
Y1  - 2001
VL  - 5
SP  - 47
EP  - 53
UR  - http://www.eurjanat.com/web/paper.php?id=01010047
KW  - gene product
KW  - neuron specific enolase
KW  - human
KW  - immunohistochemistry
KW  - nuclear magnetic resonance imaging
KW  - olfactory bulb
KW  - olfactory system
KW  - review
KW  - sensory system examination
KW  - sexual behavior
KW  - vomeronasal organ
N2  - Most vertebrates possess an accessory olfactory system parallel to the olfactory system. The most peripheral structure of the accessory (or vomeronasal) system is the vomeronasal organ, located at the base of the nasal septum. From the vomeronasal organ, vomeronasal sensory neurons project to the accessory olfactory bulb, which in turn projects to the vomeronasal-recipient structures in the basal telencephalon. The vomeronasal system detects pheromones (substances generally emitted by conspecifics) or prey chemicals, which have been demonstrated to be critical for sexual behaviors and foraging, respectively. In humans, the existence and functionality of the vomeronasal system has been debated for the last three centuries. Recent anatomical, histological, behavioral and physiological studies have reached very different conclusions on this issue, leaving an old controversy unresolved. A review of the literature indicates that most of evidence for a functional human vomeronasal system has been provided by physiological studies conducted by a single research group. Since current anatomical evidence does not support the existence of neural substrates for these physiological effects, the functionality of the human vomeronasal organ awaits further independent confirmation.
ER  -