Glomus cells are the cell type mainly located in the carotid bodies and aortic bodies. Glomus type I cells are peripheral chemoreceptors which sense the oxygen, carbon dioxide and pH levels of the blood. When there is a decrease in the blood's pH, a decrease in oxygen (pO2), or an increase in carbon dioxide (pCO2), the carotid bodies and the aortic bodies signal the dorsal respiratory group in the medulla oblongata to increase the volume and rate of breathing.[1] The glomus cells have a high metabolic rate and good blood perfusion and thus are sensitive to changes in arterial blood gas tension. Glomus type II cells are sustentacular cells having a similar supportive function to glial cells.[2][3][4]
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- ^ Lawson, W (January 1980). "The neuroendocrine nature of the glomus cells: an experimental, ultrastructural, and histochemical tissue culture study". The Laryngoscope. 90 (1): 120–44. doi:10.1288/00005537-198001000-00014. PMID 6243386. S2CID 13149248.
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