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Journal of Experimental Biology 57,661-671 (1972)
Published by Company of Biologists 1972

An Electrophysiological Study of the Photo-Excitative Neurones of Onchidium Verruculatum in Situ

NOZOMU HISANO ¹, HIDEKI TATEDA ¹, and MASUTARO KUWABARA ¹

¹ Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University

1. The distribution of the axons of the photo-excitative neurones in Onchidium verruculatum has been traced by intracellular stimulation of the soma and extracellular stimulation of the axon. They send axon branches mainly into the pleuroparietal and abdominal nerves in both sides.

2. In the whole-animal preparation, photo-excitative spikes could be recorded from neither the soma nor the nerves of inherently photo-excitative neurones during light stimulation. ‘On’ and ‘off’ spikes were initiated only immediately after the beginning and the cessation of illumination of a whole animal.

3. ‘Off’ spikes originated from dorsal eyes and stalk eyes to which shadow stimuli were applied. Those spikes were not the direct response of photo-excitative neurones to light.

4. The excitation of the inherently photo-excitative neurones in situ was suppressed by inhibitory inputs coming through the right and left pleuro-parietal nerves. Cutting one (or some) of the pleuro-parietal nerves was the only condition that diminished the inhibitory inputs to the photo-excitative neurones in the present work. Adequate electrical stimulation of the pleuro-parietal nerves inhibited spikes of photo-excitative neurones due to photo-excitator or spontaneous discharge.