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

The flatworm nervous system: pattern and phylogeny

M Reuter1, M K Gustafsson

  • 1Department of Biology, Abo Akademi University, Finland.

EXS
|January 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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

Mismatch repair deficiency and microsatellite instability in adrenocortical carcinoma.

ESMO open·2026
Same author

Detection and Characterization of Antiviral Proteins Against Bunyaviruses in Mosquito-Derived Cells.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2024
Same author

A matter of personality and point of view: How the interplay of reinforcement sensitivity and general attitudes towards pain impacts the responsivity to acute pain.

European journal of pain (London, England)·2024
Same author

Maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy and molar incisor hypomineralisation and hypomineralised second primary molars in the offspring at 7-9 years of age: a longitudinal study.

European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry·2022
Same author

Tryptophan-enriched diet or 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation given in a randomized controlled trial impacts social cognition on a neural and behavioral level.

Scientific reports·2021
Same author

"Influence of diet on mood and social cognition: a pilot study".

Food & function·2020
Same journal

Forensic toxicology.

EXS·2010
Same journal

Biological warfare agents.

EXS·2010
Same journal

Chemical warfare agents.

EXS·2010
Same journal

Drugs of abuse: management of intoxication and antidotes.

EXS·2010
Same journal

Biological testing for drugs of abuse.

EXS·2010
Same journal

Inhalation toxicology.

EXS·2010
See all related articles

Flatworms possess a surprisingly diverse and complex nervous system (NS) with advanced neuronal cell types. Ultrastructural studies reveal insights into their archaic origins and independent evolution of neural structures.

Area of Science:

  • Zoology
  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Flatworms are evolutionarily ancient organisms found at the base of the metazoan phylogenetic tree.
  • They exhibit a bilateral symmetric nervous system and an archaic brain structure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the high diversity of the flatworm nervous system (NS).
  • To clarify terminology regarding nerve cords and review the stomatogastric NS.
  • To present new data on neuronal cell types and ultrastructural findings.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized new methodologies to examine nervous system diversity.
  • Conducted ultrastructural studies of neuronal cells.
  • Employed histofluorescence, immunocytochemistry, liquid chromatography, and HPLC to detect neuroactive substances.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Identified a high degree of diversity across all levels of the flatworm nervous system.
  • Defined the concept of main nerve cords to improve terminology clarity.
  • Revealed advanced features in neuronal cell types, suggesting an archaic secretory cell as a progenitor.
  • Demonstrated independent evolution of synaptic structures and glial cells within flatworms.
  • Detected numerous neuroactive substances (cholinergic, aminergic, peptidergic) in distinct neuronal compartments.

Conclusions:

  • Flatworm nervous systems exhibit unexpected complexity and diversity.
  • Archaic secretory cells may represent a progenitor for advanced neurons.
  • Independent evolutionary pathways for neural structures exist within flatworms.