Age-Related Changes in Myelination of the Mouse Auditory Nerve
School Name
South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics
Grade Level
12th Grade
Presentation Topic
Physiology and Health
Presentation Type
Mentored
Abstract
My research was to determine whether there was a correlation between myelination of the mouse auditory nerve and the age of the mouse. To do this, the myelin thickness, axon diameter, and g ratio (the ratio of the axon diameter with and without myelin) of axons in the auditory nerve of young and aged mice were measured. To find these measurements, the cochlea of mice from control groups in previous experiments were photographed under an electron microscope, and then these photographs were analyzed using an Image J plugin called G ratio. The results of this study indicate that the aged mice have more myelinated axons in their auditory nerve than young mice. Although, the current sample size is low. These results imply that demyelination is not the cause of presbycusis. They also provide several new questions to explore: What causes the increase in myelination, and what are the effects of this increase?
Recommended Citation
Dullanty, Robert, "Age-Related Changes in Myelination of the Mouse Auditory Nerve" (2019). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 37.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2019/all/37
Location
Founders Hall 142 A
Start Date
3-30-2019 9:45 AM
Presentation Format
Oral Only
Group Project
No
Age-Related Changes in Myelination of the Mouse Auditory Nerve
Founders Hall 142 A
My research was to determine whether there was a correlation between myelination of the mouse auditory nerve and the age of the mouse. To do this, the myelin thickness, axon diameter, and g ratio (the ratio of the axon diameter with and without myelin) of axons in the auditory nerve of young and aged mice were measured. To find these measurements, the cochlea of mice from control groups in previous experiments were photographed under an electron microscope, and then these photographs were analyzed using an Image J plugin called G ratio. The results of this study indicate that the aged mice have more myelinated axons in their auditory nerve than young mice. Although, the current sample size is low. These results imply that demyelination is not the cause of presbycusis. They also provide several new questions to explore: What causes the increase in myelination, and what are the effects of this increase?
