In Anatomy, What Is an Ampulla?

Lorenz ampulla is the shunt's sideline nervous system. It is a row of nerve endings distributed on both sides of the body. He can make sharks sense any activity in the water.

Lorentz ampulla

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Lorenz ampulla is the shunt's sideline nervous system. It is a row of nerve endings distributed on both sides of the body. He can make sharks sense any activity in the water.

Chinese name

Lorenz ampulla

In 1678, Italian anatomist Laurenzini discovered that the shark's head had speckled body holes. The body holes were concentrated around the shark's mouth. If the adjacent epidermis was opened, each body hole was an opening of a transparent tube. The tube is full of crystalline gelatin, which makes the shark look like "shaved in the morning, and grows a cormorant again at 5 pm".

After a period of research, Laurenzini speculated that the mucus on the fish may be secreted from these body holes, but then he denied this speculation. Although he did not prove the "use" of these body holes throughout his life, he firmly believed that it must have other "unknown functions".

Later generations of biologists referred to the shark body holes discovered by Laurenzini as "Lauren's ampulla". In order to unravel this "unknown function", generations of biologists went forward and worked tirelessly. It's in-depth research. Unfortunately, despite the active participation of so many biologists, no progress has been made in the research of the ampulla.

In the face of this unsolvable mystery, biologists did not abandon their research or simply declared that the ampulla was a "useless" organ (like the "cecum" as people usually think) and hurriedly closed the case. On the contrary, almost no A biologist believes that the "ampelination" would be "useless" there.

Why do these biologists, like the original Laurenzini, almost stubbornly believe that Lauren's ampulla is "useful"? Their idea is simple and even a little "naive": since it can't be proved "useless", don't doubt its "useful", because the creator will not make a "useless" organ on the shark body for no reason.

In the early 1970s, almost 300 years after Laurenzini discovered the "ampeliac" of sharks, modern biologists finally found "Laurent's ampulla" on the basis of research by senior scientists and using modern experimental equipment. "Use": In dirty waters or the dark sea bottom, sharks' senses, smells, smells, touches, and hearing sense organs will fail to pass. At this time, the seemingly "useless" "pot ampulla" begins to exert it. Great effect. It is like a "detector" that can detect weak current stimuli. It is this magical organ that allows sharks to easily find prey hiding in the dark or buried in the sand.