RESUMO
In this work, prenatal cellular differentiation of the CN in relation to the central fibres of the cochlear nerve was studied in albino rat embryos. Specimensfrom rat embryos were taken daily from the 12th embryonic day to tull term. It was studied by cresy fast violet and Cajal's reduced silver stains. The central fibers of the cochlear nerve were found to reach the brain stem before the 15th embryonic day, which is the age of appearance of the primordium of the CN. Cellular differentiation of the CN started from the 18th day and at full term the cells of the VCN were more differentiated than those of the DCN. The variations in the age of appearance of the CN and in the degree of its cellular differentiation may be related to the animal species, the stage of cochlear development and the neonatal behaviour of different animals