Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Animal Sciences
Dopamine Modulates The Lateral Giant Neuron And Serotonergic Facilitation In Crayfish, Joshua Scott Titlow
Dopamine Modulates The Lateral Giant Neuron And Serotonergic Facilitation In Crayfish, Joshua Scott Titlow
Theses, Dissertations and Capstones
The lateral giant (LG) neural circuit is a model system used to study the function of individual neurons. The LG circuit is part of a tail flip escape reflex that is a defensive behavior for crayfish. This thesis begins by addressing the effects of dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter involved in normal and abnormal behaviors of most animals. Here it is shown that dopamine decreases the excitability of the LG neuron, a trigger for the escape reflex. An electrophysiology protocol was used to mimic sensory input to the LG neuron. Stimulating a sensory nerve in the last ganglion with an electrode …