Art of Science Gallery 04

Image provided by Aaron Johnson, Aaron Johnson Lab

Research funded by the University of Illinois

This repeated image shows a neuromuscular junction, the interface between a neuron and a muscle cell, located on a muscle from the larynx of a rat. With age, these laryngeal muscles become slower and weaken. By examining the laryngeal muscles in aging rats, researchers are able to investigate the effects of increased and decreased voice use on laryngeal neuromuscular mechanisms. This will help reveal if and how voice and swallowing functions can be preserved in older adults through behavioral interventions.