Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Glutamate On Neurite Outgrowth In Fiddler Crab (Uca Pugilator) X-Organ Cells, Ruth B. Langton

Honors Theses

Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It is of particular interest because of its supposed role in the processes of learning and memory, and also because of its potential toxic effects that have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Although glutamate is necessary for normal cell functioning, high levels of glutamate receptor activation can result in cell death, a phenomenon known as excitotoxicity. It has been suggested that glutamate also plays an important role in the insect and crustacean nervous systems, allowing for the examination of excitotoxicity in these organisms. …