Electrophysiological and morphological analyses of vagal mechanoreceptors in the gut wall
suggest conflicting conclusions. Electrophysiology has distinguished a single general class
of ending in smooth muscle, one characterized as an 'in series' tension receptor.
Morphology, in contrast, has characterized two distinct specializations of vagal afferent
endings in the muscle wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These two structures differ in
terms of their target tissues, terminal architectures and regional distributions; they also …