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Spontaneous activity of neurons in the visceral ganglion of Aplysia depilans

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Abstract

The membrane potential, impulse activity (mostly spontaneous) and, in some cases postsynaptic potentials, have been recorded in vitro under optical control (glass micropipets, cathode follower, oscilloscope with movie camera and/or ink writing recorder) in neurons of the visceral ganglia of Aplysia depilans. The value of the membrane potential is usually 40 mV. The majority of cells entered by the microelectrode show no spontaneous nerve impulse-spike activity. Statistical analysis of the spontaneous impulse activity made with records taken mostly from autoactive pacemaker neurons (using a computer), shows that these neurons generate relatively regular nerve impulses (the inter-spike interval histograms are often approximated by a Gaussian shape), irrespective of marked differences in mean values of the inter-spike intervals. Construction of special types of interval histograms and statistical comparison of corresponding distributions demonstrated, in several neurons, that the occurrence of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials tends to postpone the onset of the subsequent spike. Statistical description of in vitro recorded activity of neurons may be used for establishing correlations between metabolic and functional aspects.

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Communicated by E. A. Pora, Cluj

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Radil-Weiss, T., Lakočevič, L. & Damjanovič, Z. Spontaneous activity of neurons in the visceral ganglion of Aplysia depilans . Marine Biology 6, 241–247 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347232

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347232

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