title: Central and peripheral control of gill movements in Aplysia.
abstract: Two types of gill contraction in Aplysia were used to study the relation of peripheral and central pathways in controlling behavioral responses in a mollusk. A weak or moderate tactile stimulus to the mantle elicits gill contraction (gill-withdrawal reflex) as a component of a more extensive withdrawal response; a stimulus applied directly to the gill elicits a localized response of the gill pinnule (pinnule response). Central pathways through the abdominal ganglion are both necessary and sufficient for the gill-withdrawal reflex, and motor neuron L7 makes direct connections with gill muscles, without engaging the peripheral plexus. Peripheral pathways are necessary and sufficient for the pinnule response. As a result of the independence of peripheral and central pathways, habituation by repeated tactile stimulation of one pathway does not affect the responsiveness of the other pathway.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D005880:Gills / Q000294:innervation*; D008974:Mollusca / Q000502:physiology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology; D012018:Reflex; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014110:Touch