The neuromuscular basis of swimming movements in embryos of the amphibian Xenopus laevis.
When removed from their egg membranes, Xenopus embryos can swim. High-speed cinematography shows that, in swimming, lateral undulations pass rostro-caudally down the body. The swimming rhythm period is 40-100 ms. In swimming, electrical activity in myotomal muscles alternates on opposite sides of a segment and sweeps rostro-caudally in ipsilateral myotomes. Myotome muscle physiology was examined. Muscle fibres are electrically coupled to each other, and the fibres are able to spike. The possible role of a myotomal conduction pathway in swimming is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D009043:Motor Activity; D009068:Movement; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology / Q000294:innervation*; D013550:Swimming; D014981:Xenopus