Re: jo's

[pharrinj@PLU.edu]

On Thu, 18 Jan 1996, Bonnie Blackwell, x 3332 wrote:

> for we geologists who have not taken bio in MANY years, could someone
> please summarize (2-3 lines) what is a jacobsen's organ and what it does.
> thx
> b
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Bonnie Blackwell,                             bonn@qcvaxa.acc.qc.edu
> Dept of Geology,                                (718) 997-3332
> Queens College, City University of New York,    fax:  997-3349
> Flushing, NY 11367-1597
> 

As I recall (correct me, please, if I am wrong), Jacobsen's organ is 
often referred to as an organ of "taste-smell."  It is located in the 
roof of the mouth or in the nose (same diff in many tetrapods).  It is what 
lizards and snakes use to analyze the chemicals picked up on their tongues, and 
I think in mammals it is usually used for analyzing pheromones and the like.

"Flehmen" refers to an animal scrunching up its snout and opening its 
nostrils to give the pheromones easier access to Jacobsen's organ.

Hope this helps (and hope I got it all straight),

     Nick Pharris
     Pacific Lutheran University