The relationship between mesocerebral activity and sexual arousal in the snail, «Cornu aspersum»
Year: 2008
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The courtship behavior of the pulmonate snail Cornu aspersum comprises an intricate sequence of acts followed by dart shooting. This study aims at comparing mesocerebral electrical activity in ganglia removed from snails belonging to three stages of sexual arousal: Non-excited snails, pre dart shooters, and post dart shooters. The groups were compared using measurements of spontaneous mesocerebral activity and responses to simultaneous stimulation of six nerves. Dart shooters showed the highest spontaneous activity, followed by the pre dart shooters and finally, non-excited snails. Nerve stimulation increased activity only in non-excited snails. Cluster analysis failed to show a significant change in the number of active units before and after nerve stimulation. These results show that mesocerebral activity is correlated with the behavioral stages of courtship, and is influenced by input from the stimulated nerves, thus linking the ethology and physiology of mating in this species.
Source: eScholarship@McGill (McGill)
DOI: 10.82308/20394
Author: Tajerian, Maral
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: McGill University
OpenAlex ID: W7042718436