Tympanic part of the temporal bone presents a narrow furrow, the "tympanic sulcus", for the attachment of the tympanic membrane. Its antero-inferior surface is quadrilateral and slightly concave; it constitutes the posterior boundary of the mandibular fossa, and is in contact with the retromandibular part of the parotid gland. Its lateral border is free and rough, and gives attachment to the cartilaginous part of the ear canal. Internally, the tympanic part is fused with the petrous portion, and appears in the retreating angle between it and the squama, where it lies below and lateral to the orifice of the auditory tube. Posteriorly, it blends with the
Plasma membrane transformation they do in rats and mice, after which they return (within the next 48 h) to form the interface of the mature placenta. Moreover, as we have also seen, there are molecular alterations in the plasma membrane during early pregnancy which have common aspects across species and here some of the large mucin molecules (such as MUC-1) are particularly instructive. Changes in the basal and lateral plasma membrane regions have also been documented in many species during early pregnancy in preparation for attachment, and these too show common aspects across species—especially some membrane junctional structures. Therefore, to highlight that membrane