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 Concept Videos

Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
Reflex Activity01:08

Reflex Activity

A reflex activity is an automatic, involuntary response to specific stimuli. It is a part of our survival mechanism, designed to protect us from potential harm. For example, when a bright light suddenly shines into our eyes, we instinctively close them or look away. This is a simple reflex activity orchestrated by the nervous system without conscious thought or effort.
A reflex exam is a diagnostic procedure performed by a healthcare professional to evaluate the functionality of a patient's...
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Sensory-driven neck-limb coordination mechanisms for walk-trot-gallop gait transitions.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Diuretics for Preventing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Neonatology·2026
Same author

Dianionic Tetraalkynylmagnesate Complexes: A Strategy for Propargyl Amine Synthesis.

Organic letters·2026
Same author

Correction: Daily cost-efficiency of robotic liver resection over laparoscopic and open liver resection especially for complex liver resection procedures: An inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis.

Surgery today·2026
Same author

Urinary prostaglandin E major urinary metabolite in neonates: Gestational age at birth-dependent dynamics and clinical implications.

Pediatrics and neonatology·2026
Same author

Conversion surgery for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma after immune checkpoint inhibitor-combined chemotherapy with the biliary stent-based strategy.

Surgical oncology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects
10:19

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects

Published on: April 13, 2011

Local reflexive mechanisms essential for snakes' scaffold-based locomotion.

Takeshi Kano1, Takahide Sato, Ryo Kobayashi

  • 1Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan. tkano@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

Bioinspiration & Biomimetics
|August 25, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Snakes use terrain irregularities for locomotion via simple reflexive mechanisms. This research models these principles to develop robots capable of navigating complex, undefined environments.

More Related Videos

Muscle Receptor Organs in the Crayfish Abdomen: A Student Laboratory Exercise in Proprioception
10:50

Muscle Receptor Organs in the Crayfish Abdomen: A Student Laboratory Exercise in Proprioception

Published on: November 18, 2010

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion
08:19

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion

Published on: January 15, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects
10:19

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects

Published on: April 13, 2011

Muscle Receptor Organs in the Crayfish Abdomen: A Student Laboratory Exercise in Proprioception
10:50

Muscle Receptor Organs in the Crayfish Abdomen: A Student Laboratory Exercise in Proprioception

Published on: November 18, 2010

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion
08:19

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion

Published on: January 15, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Biomimicry
  • Animal Locomotion

Background:

  • Traditional robots struggle in unpredictable environments.
  • Snakes effectively use terrain irregularities for movement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To understand the fundamental principles of snake locomotion.
  • To inform the development of robots for undefined environments.

Main Methods:

  • Computational modeling and simulations.
  • Analysis of local reflexive mechanisms in snake movement.

Main Results:

  • Two key local reflexive mechanisms are crucial for locomotion.
  • These mechanisms exploit muscle stretch and body wall pressure information.

Conclusions:

  • Autonomous decentralized control is key to adaptive locomotion.
  • Findings can advance robot design for unstructured terrains and animal locomotion understanding.