Aortic body

The glomera aortica (singular Glomus aorticum; Aortenkörperchen ) are irregularly distributed millimeter-sized structures in the area of the aortic arch and the subclavian artery, with the slightly larger, paired glomera carotid above the bifurcation of the common carotid artery and other glomera, for example, the larynx, the defense of hypoxia, ie a deficiency of oxygen, serve. It is expected this glomera sometimes to the paraganglia.

The glomera aortica consist of so-called ensheathing cells and chief cells, and also blood vessels and nerve fibers. The nerve fibers run mainly through the vagus nerve, brain downward. Containing the main cell is stored in vesicles neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin and adenosine triphosphate. They function as chemoreceptors. Decreases at lower supply of oxygen partial pressure of oxygen in the blood, increases the carbon dioxide partial pressure and lower the pH, the cells are excited - and depolarized - and put their messengers free. The messengers in turn excite the nerve fibers of the glomera, and the brain of the supply is unchecked.

The glomera aortica are difficult to access and therefore less well known than the glomera carotica. The latter have already been identified in 1743, the glomera aortica until 1906 and only approximately. Your precise location and function, the Belgian pharmacologist Jean -François Heymans and his son Corneille Heymans discovered in 1927. Today we know that their principal cells respond similarly to the principal cells of the carotid glomera. Maybe lack of oxygen on the glomera carotica is mainly breathing, aortica on the other hand glomera predominantly stimulates the heart; Thus, both the absorption of oxygen and the oxygen transport would be promoted.