Physiology and histology of the Cubomedusæ: including Dr. F.S. Conant's notes on the physiologyBerger, E. W. (Edward William)
Science
Physiology and histology of the Cubomedusæ: including Dr. F.S. Conant's notes on the physiology
Berger, E. W. (Edward William)
Cubomedusae
Considering, now, the reflexes noted under this head and the preceding
one, we find that there is an intimate nervous connection between the
velarium and frenula, subumbrella, sensory clubs, nerve, and a single
pedalium, on the one hand, and the pedalia on the other hand. This
is born out fully, furthermore, by the histological evidence--(See
Introduction and “Cubomedusæ”). Considering the subumbral plexus of
ganglion cells and fibers, including the velarium and the frenula, which
is in connection with the nerve ring and this again with the sensory
clubs and the interradial ganglia at the bases of the pedalia, we have
a basis for these reflexes. While Conant failed to demonstrate nerves
(“Cubomedusæ”) from the interradial ganglia to the pedalia, yet, that a
nervous connection exists between the pedalia and the bell is well shown
by his physiological experiments. I have, furthermore, demonstrated
ganglion cells under the ectoderm of the tentacles (see Histology).
Romanes obtained quite similar results in the Hydromedusæ. He found
that when a tentacle of Sarsia was slightly stimulated, it alone would
contract, but when it was more strongly stimulated the other tentacles
also would respond as also the manubrium. I find no evidence in Conant’s
notes of any such response of the manubrium of Charybdea, except when the
clubs were cut off.
The reflex obtained on stimulating the subumbrella of Charybdea, when
the pedalia would contract, is somewhat different from that obtained by
Romanes, who found that the most sensitive part of the subumbrella in
producing a reflex of the margin was at the junction of the manubrium
to the bell and that the subumbrella below this point did not give the
reflex.
_Stomach, Suspensoria, Proboscis, Subumbrella_--Experiments 12, 18, 19,
24-26, 29, 31.--The proboscis and the stomach with the phacelli when cut
out, contracted with or without the lips removed. The isolated lips also
contracted (twitched).
Pieces of the sides connected only with the stomach and suspensoria, or
with the margin (Experiment 47 (?)) twitched spontaneously, but seldom
did so when these were removed. In one instance the whole side was cut
out so as to exclude the radial ganglion but still connected with a
portion of the suspensorium. This pulsated, or contracted, but on being
halved transversely, the lower half ceased to contract while the upper
half connected with the suspensorium, continued to contract.
Cutting off the whole stomach end of the animal excited to very rapid
pulsations of the remaining part, with the stream of water stronger out
the aboral end than past the velarium.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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