Summary
Intracellular recordings were made from afferent neurons with central cell bodies (S-cells) mediating reflexive withdrawals and escape swimming of the mollusc,Tritonia diomedia. Approximately 100 S-cells are located just under the somata of the trigger group neurons (TGN) in each pleural ganglion. S-cells are normally silent but respond phasically to tactile stimuli and tonically to noxious stimuli (NaCl solution or contact with the tube feet ofPycnopodia). Directly driven S-cell activity results in reflexive withdrawals and escape swimming; the initiation of swimming requires both a higher frequency and number of S-cells. Further evidence is provided that the group of cells known as the trigger group neurons (TGN) may be neither necessary nor sufficient for the initiation of escape swimming, but that S-cell activity is the first causal step in the trigger process.
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I thank Drs. D. Kennedy, J. Wine, and A.O.D. Willows for helpful comments during the research and on the manuscript, and special thanks to Robert Snow for identifyingTritonia from southern California asTritonia diomedia. This work was supported in part by a grant from Research Development Fund, Stanford University and a NIH research grant #1-R01-NS-12529.
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Getting, P.A. Afferent neurons mediating escape swimming of the marine mollusc,Tritonia . J. Comp. Physiol. 110, 271–286 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00659144
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00659144