Abstract
Unicellular organisms require some unique adaptations to their environment, such as the necessity to incorporate all functions needed for survival onto a single cell, and the ability to cope with their direct exposure to the outside world. Their unicellular existence imposes restrictions that multicellular organisms have circumvented by distributing different functions onto different cell types. This is most evident if we compare animal behavior with “cellular behavior” of protozoa. The sequence of events underlying behavior in animals includes sensory perception by sense organs, processing of the sensory information and translating this into motor programs by the nervous system, and movements carried out by activation of muscles. Thus, different types of cells and organs with varying degrees of specialization contribute to the behavioral performance of multicellular animals.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aimers, W., Mcdeskey, E. W., and Palade, P. T., 1984, A non-selective cation conductance in frog muscle membrane blocked by micromolar external calcium ions, J. Physiol. (Lond.) 353:565.
Deitmer, J. W., 1981, Voltage and time characteristics of the potassium mechanoreceptor current in the ciliate Stylonychia,J. Comp. Physiol. A 141:173.
Deitmer, J. W., 1982, The effects of tetraethylammonium and other agents on the potassium mechanoreceptor current in the ciliate Stylonychia, J. exp. Biol. 96:239.
Deitmer, J. W., 1984, Evidence for two voltage-dependent calcium currents in the membrane of the ciliate Stylonychia, J. Physiol. (Lond.) 355:137.
Deitmer, J. W., 1986, Voltage-dependence of two inward currents carried by calcium and barium in the ciliate Stylonychia mytilus, J. Physiol. (Lond.) 380:551.
Deitmer, J. W., 1988, Multiple types of calcium channels: Is their function related to their localization? in: Calcium and Ion Channel Modulation, p. 19 (A. D. Grinnell, D. Armstrong, and M. B. Jackson, eds.), Plenum Press, New York.
Deitmer, J. W., Machemer, H., and Martinac, B., 1984, Motor control in three different types of ciliary organelles in the ciliate Stylonychia, J. Comp. Physiol. A 154:113.
de Peyer, J. E., and Deitmer, J. W., 1980, Divalent cations as charge carriers during two functionally different membrane currents in the ciliate Stylonychia, J. exp. Biol. 88:73.
de Peyer, J. E., and Machemer, H., 1977, Membrane excitability in Stylonchia: Properties of the two-peak regenerative Ca-response, J. Comp. Physiol. 121:15.
de Peyer, J. E., and Machemer, H., 1978a, Hyperpolarizing and depolarizing mechanoreceptor potentials in Stylonychia, J. Comp. Physiol. 127:255.
de Peyer, J. E., and Machemer, H., 1978b, Are receptor-activated ciliary motor responses mediated through voltage or current? Nature 276:285.
de Peyer, J. E., and Machemer, H., 1982, Electromechanical coupling of cilia. I. Effects of depolarizing voltage steps, Cell Motil. 2:483.
Doughty, M. J., and Dryl, S., 1981, Control of ciliary activity in Paramecium. An analysis of chemosensory transduction in a eucaryotic unicellular organism, Progr. Neurobiol. 16:1.
Eckert, R., and Chad, J. E., 1984, Inactivation of Ca channels, Progr. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 44:215.
Ivens, I., 1986, Different properties of two voltage-dependent inward currents of the ciliate Stylonychia mytilus,J. Physiol. (Lond.) 381:1.
Jennings, H. S., 1906, Behavior of the Lower Organisms, Columbia University Press, New York.
Kung, C., and Saimi, Y., 1982, The physiological basis of taxes in Paramecium, Ann. Rev. Physiol. 44:519.
Llinas, R., and Yarom, Y., 1981, Electrophysiology of mammalian inferior olivary neurones in vitro. Different types of voltage-dependent ionic conductances, J. Physiol. (Lond.) 315:549.
Machemer, H., and Deitmer, J. W., 1987, From structure to behaviour Stylonychia as a model system for cellular physiology, Progr. Protistol. 2:213.
Machemer, H., and de Peyer, J. E., 1977, Swimming sensory cells: Electrical membrane parameters, receptor properties and motor control in ciliated protozoa, Verh. Dtsch. Zool. Ges., Erlangen 1977:86.
McCleskey, E. M., Fox, A. P., and Tsien, R. W., 1986, Different types of calcium channels, J. exp. Biol. 124:177.
Naitoh, Y., and Eckert, R., 1969, Ionic mechanisms controlling behavioral responses in Paramecium to mechanical stimulation, Science 164:963.
Naitoh, Y., Eckert, R-, and Friedman, K., 1972, A regererative calcium response in Paramecium,J. exp. Biol. 56:667.
Naitoh, Y., and Kaneko, M., 1973, Control of ciliary activities by adenosinotriphosphate and divalent cations in Triton-extracted models of Paramecium caudatum,J. exp. Biol. 58:657.
Penner, R., and Dreyer, F., 1986, Two different presynaptic calcium currents in mouse motor nerve terminals. Pflügers Arch. 406:197.
Song, P. S., 1981, Photosensory transduction in Stentor coeruleus and related organisms, Biochem. Biophys. Acta, 639:1.
Standen, N. B., and Stanfield, P. R., 1978, A potential-and time-dependent blockade of inward rectification in frog skeletal muscle fibres by barium and strontium ions, J. Physiol. (Lond.) 280:169.
Van Houten, J., Hauser, D. R., and Levandowsky, M., 1981, Chemosensory behavior in Protozoa, in: Biochemistry and Physiology of Protozoa, p. 67 (M. Levandowsky and S. H. Hutner, eds.), Academic Press, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1989 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Deitmer, J.W. (1989). Ion Channels and the Cellular Behavior of Stylonychia . In: Anderson, P.A.V. (eds) Evolution of the First Nervous Systems. NATO ASI Series, vol 188. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0921-3_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0921-3_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0923-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0921-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive