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Physiological And Anatomical Assessment Of Synapses At The Crayfish Neuromuscular Junction, Andrew Fredericks Moser Johnstone

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, has a multitude of ideal sites in which synaptic transmission may be studied. Its opener muscle, being innervated by a single excitatory neuron is a good model for studying the structure/function of neuromuscular junctions since the preparation is identifiable from animal to animal and the nerve terminals are visible using a vital dye. This allows ease in finding a suitable site to record from in each preparation and offers the ability to relocate it anatomically. Marking a recorded site and rebuilding it through electron microscopy gives good detail of synaptic struture for assesment.In the first of …