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
17. All four sensory clubs were removed from one, cutting as high up as
possible so as to remove the endodermal tract of nerve fibers of the
peduncle. It pulsated afterwards apparently the same as if the stalks had
been left intact.
18. A small piece surrounding a sensory club and including the _margin_
can contract by itself. The piece observed pulsated with quick pulsations
and rhythmically but intermittently. After a fresh cutting away of such
a piece, the portion of the _velarium_ attached was seen to contract
rhythmically, while the rest of the _subumbrella_ was not so seen. The
part of the subumbrella above the radial ganglion that was cut off did
not contract by itself. The same portion of the velarium cut off did give
contractions.
19. A sensory club with the surrounding region cut out pulsated
rhythmically; when the club was cut from the end of its stalk pulsation
stopped. This observation was repeated on another, and contractions were
seen after the removal of the club. A piece of the _subumbrella_ wall
from the same animal gave contractions now and then even after an hour.
20. The normal position of a sensory club seems to be with the concretion
almost at the lowermost end; often with it certainly lowermost, but
probably oftener with the perpendicular passing through the center of the
attachment of the club to its peduncle and just by the inner edge of the
concretion. The eyes point inwards.
When the animal is on its side the concretions are always quite
lowermost. When the animal was inverted the tendency was for the
concretions to be lowermost. In this position the eyes may point in
several directions. In one instance those of one club pointed rather
outwards, while of two other clubs they pointed more in the plane of the
body wall. (See also Experiments 24, 29.)
_Nerve._--21. Cutting the nerve eight times, once on each side of each
sensory club, produced no loss of coördination in pulsating. The animal
was weakened, however, by the operation, which was made drastic to insure
cutting the nerve; but it was still able to swim. This experiment was
repeated four times.
22. That coördination was continued after the nerve was cut was
proved beyond doubt by cutting from the edge up (eight times) so as
to perfectly separate the sensory clubs and the pedalia. Pulsations
continued synchronously in all four sides--not the slightest evidence
that one side contracted out of time with the others.
23. The eight cuts were made as in the preceding experiment with no loss
of coördination noted. When the cuts were carried up to the base of the
stomach, however, coördination ceased. The four side pieces seemed to
contract each in its own time. Only two sides could be observed at one
time, and they at any rate did not contract synchronously. One side often
gave two contractions while the other side rested or gave one.
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