Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Colonial conduction systems in the Anthozoa: Octocorallia.

G A Shelton

    The Journal of Experimental Biology
    |June 1, 1975
    PubMed
    Summary

    Octocorals possess a through-conducting nerve net that controls muscle contractions and exhibits spontaneous activity. A novel slow conduction system was also identified in Pennatula, suggesting multiple systems in Anthozoa.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Electrical activity following cellular recognition of self and non-self in a sea anemone.

    Nature·1981
    Same author

    Electrophysiology of two parallel conducting systems in the colonial hexacorallia.

    Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·1976
    Same author

    Colonial nervous control of lophophore retraction in cheilostome Bryozoa.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·1975
    Same author

    The transmission of impulses in the ectodermal slow conduction system of the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica (Couch).

    The Journal of experimental biology·1975
    Same author

    Electrical activity and colonial behaviour in Anthozoan hard corals.

    Nature·1975

    Area of Science:

    • Marine Biology
    • Neuroscience
    • Invertebrate Zoology

    Background:

    • Octocorals, including Alcyonium digitatum, Pennatula phosphorea, and Virgularia mirabilis, are known for their complex structures.
    • Previous histological studies suggested the presence of nerve nets in these organisms.
    • Electrophysiological data on octocoral nervous systems remain limited.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To electrophysiologically characterize the nerve net in selected octocorals.
    • To investigate the properties of nerve impulse conduction and muscle control.
    • To identify and describe any novel neural systems in octocorals.

    Main Methods:

    • Electrophysiological recordings were used to study nerve net activity in Alcyonium digitatum, Pennatula phosphorea, and Virgularia mirabilis.
    • Stimulation techniques were employed to assess pulse conduction and muscle response.
    • Histological correlation was considered to validate electrophysiological findings.

    Main Results:

    • A through-conducting nerve net was confirmed electrophysiologically in all studied octocorals.
    • The nerve net demonstrated facilitation and defacilitation of pulse conduction, with activity spread independent of stimulus number.
    • Spontaneous nerve net activity was observed, controlling fast muscle contractions with pulse frequency dictating sequence.
    • A previously undescribed slow conduction system, potentially ectodermal, was identified in Pennatula.

    Conclusions:

    • The electrophysiologically identified nerve net likely corresponds to the histologically described structures.
    • Octocoral nerve nets exhibit complex properties, including spontaneous activity and frequency-dependent muscle control.
    • The discovery of a slow system in Pennatula suggests that multiple, distinct neural conduction systems may be common in Anthozoa.

    Related Experiment Videos