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Experimental Analysis of Motor Development in the Chick Embryo

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Neurobiology of Vertebrate Locomotion

Part of the book series: Wenner-Gren Center International Symposium Series ((WGS))

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Abstract

The chick embryo has been one of the major experimental models for the analysis of vertebrate neural development for many years. Despite its popularity for neuroembryology rigorous studies of the synaptic organization of the chick central nervous system have been rare. To a large extent, this situation has arisen because of the technical difficulties associated with recording from small, developing neurons in-ovo. Further progress can be anticipated, however, with the recent development of an isolated preparation of the chick spinal cord that allows intra- and extracellular investigation of identified neuronal populations (Velumian 1982, 1985; Landmesser and O’Donovan 1984a, O’Donovan 1984). The isolated spinal cord preparation has the additional benefit of exhibiting spontaneous motor activity which makes it suitable for studies of motor development (Landmesser and O’Donovan 1984a,b).

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© 1986 The Wenner-Gren Center

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O’Donovan, M.J. (1986). Experimental Analysis of Motor Development in the Chick Embryo. In: Grillner, S., Stein, P.S.G., Stuart, D.G., Forssberg, H., Herman, R.M. (eds) Neurobiology of Vertebrate Locomotion. Wenner-Gren Center International Symposium Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-09148-5_27

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