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Functioning of identified snail neurones in electric fields.
V N Ierusalimsky1, P M Balaban
1Institute of Chemical Physics, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|September 1, 1987
Summary
Extracellular currents can trigger neuronal activity (depolarization and spikes) in Helix lucorum snails. Spontaneously active neurons showed lower thresholds to these currents compared to silent neurons.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Neuronal excitability is fundamental to nervous system function.
- Understanding responses to external electrical fields is crucial for neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of low-frequency sinusoidal currents on snail neurons.
- To determine the threshold voltage gradients for eliciting neuronal responses.
- To compare the excitability of silent versus spontaneously active neurons.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings from Helix lucorum neurons.
- Application of sinusoidal currents to the bath solution.
- Morphological analysis of neuronal branches.
Main Results:
- Depolarization and spikes were elicited in both silent and active neurons by extracellular currents.
- Threshold voltage gradients ranged from 1-10 V m-1.
- Neurons could generate spikes in response to currents in opposite directions.
- Spontaneously active neurons had significantly lower thresholds than silent neurons.
Conclusions:
- Extracellular electric fields can directly influence neuronal activity.
- Neuronal branches play a role in the response to electric fields.
- A quantitative method for evaluating transmembrane voltage drop was developed.