Development of the human medial superior olivary nucleus: a morphometric study

Abstract

The development of the human medial superior olivary nucleus was studied in serial sections of 10 fetuses at 12–35 weeks of gestation (WG), an infant at 2 months of age and an adult of 63 years using an electronic planimeter with a computer. Morphometric analysis suggested that the development of the human medial superior olivary nucleus accelerates between 16 and 21 WG in terms of columnar lengths and volumes, neuronal sizes and circularity ratios, while it matures gradually in terms of the amount of Nissl bodies.