Bag cell control of egg laying in freely behaving aplysia

Neuroendocrine (bag cell) control of egg laying was studied in freely behaving Aplysia. Surgical lesions showed that bag cells are not necessary for egg laying, although they play a crucial role in its control, and that the pleurovisceral connectives are the afferent pathway to the bag cells. Recording in vivo showed that synchronous bag cell spikes progressively invade the network, leading to prolonged repetitive firing that initiates natural egg laying.