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Related Experiment Videos

Neuronal control of leech behavior.

William B Kristan1, Ronald L Calabrese, W Otto Friesen

  • 1Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, 9500 Gilman Dr., University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0357, USA.

Progress in Neurobiology
|November 2, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Medicinal leeches offer a simplified model for neuroscience research. Their predictable movements, controlled by a small, organized nervous system, allow detailed study of neuronal circuits and behaviors.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuroethology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) has been a model organism in neuroscience since the late 19th century.
  • Early research focused on anatomy and development, progressing to behavioral and electrophysiological studies.
  • Recent work investigates the neuronal basis of specific leech behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the neuronal mechanisms underlying six key leech behaviors.
  • To describe the origins of these behaviors within neuronal circuits.
  • To explore how feedback loops, neuromodulators, and inter-circuit interactions shape behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing neuroethological studies on leech behavior.
  • Analysis of anatomical and electrophysiological data.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Description of neuronal circuits controlling specific movements.

    • Main Results:

    • Detailed descriptions of six behaviors: heartbeat, local bending, shortening, swimming, crawling, and feeding.
    • Identification of the neuronal circuits responsible for each behavior.
    • Insights into the modulatory effects of feedback and neuromodulators on neuronal circuits.

    Conclusions:

    • The leech's distributed, metameric central nervous system (CNS) with ~400 neurons facilitates detailed circuit analysis.
    • The limited repertoire of discrete movements allows for comprehensive understanding of neuronal control and inter-behavioral interactions.
    • Leech neuroethology provides a tractable system for studying fundamental principles of neural control of behavior.