Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Neural Control of the Heartbeat and Skeletal Muscle in Spiders and Scorpions

  • Chapter
Neurobiology of Arachnids

Abstract

Neural control of muscle systems in arachnids is poorly understood in comparison to the other large classes of arthropods, namely the crustaceans and insects. The vast majority of arachnid studies have involved spiders and scorpions, and they have been directed primarily to the muscles of the heart and leg. In this report, the existing information on the neural control of these muscles will be summarized.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Atwood HL, Luff AR, Morin WA, Sherman RG (1971) Dense-cored vesicles at neuromuscular synapses of arthropods and vertebrates. Experientia 27:816–817

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Auber-Thomay M (1963) Remarques sur Pultrastructure des myofíbrilles chez des scorpions. J Microsc 2:233–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowerman RF, Burrows M (1980) The morphology and physiology of some walking leg motor neurons in a scorpion. J Comp Physiol 140:31–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowerman RF, Root TM (1978) External anatomy and muscle morphology of the walking legs of the scorpion Hadrurus arizonensis. Comp Biochem Physiol 59:57–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brenner HR (1972) Evidence for peripheral inhibition in an arachnid muscle. J Comp Physiol 80:227–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brenner HR, Rathmayer W (1973) The quantal nature of synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction of a spider. J Gen Physiol 62:224–236

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bursey CR, Sherman RG (1970) Spider cardiac physiology. I. Structure and function of the cardiac ganglion. Comp Gen Pharmacol 1:160–170

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson AJ (1905) Comparative physiology of the invertebrate heart. IV. The physiology of the cardiac nerves in the arthropods. Am J Physiol 15:127–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Foelix RF (1982) Biology of spiders. Harvard Univ Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Fountain RL (1970) Neuromuscular properties of scorpion walking leg muscles. M S Thesis, Univ Miami, Coral Gables, Fla

    Google Scholar 

  • Franzini-Armstrong C (1974) Freeze fracture of skeletal muscle from the tarantula spider. J Cell Biol 61:501–513

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gilai A, Parnas I (1970) Neuromuscular physiology of the closer muscles in the pedipalp of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus. J Exp Biol 52:325–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilai A, Parnas J (1972) Electromechanical coupling in tubular muscle fibers. I. The organization of tubular muscle fibers in the scorpion, Leiurus quinquestriatus. J Cell Biol 52:626–638

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Femandez F, Sherman RG (1979) Cardioregulatory nerves in a spider. Neurosci Abstr 5:246

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Femandez F, Sherman RG (1984) Cardioregulatory nerves in the spider Eurypelma marxi Simon. J Exp Zool 231:27–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jahromi SS, Atwood HL (1969) Correlation of structure, speed of contraction, and total tension in fast and slow abdominal muscle fibers of the lobster (Homarus americanus). J Exp Zool 171:25–37

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kanungo MS (1957) Cardiac physiology of the scorpion Palamnaeus bengalensis C. Koch. Biol Bull Woods Hole 113:135–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kawaguti S, Kamishima Y (1969) Electron microscopy on the long-sarcomere muscle of the spider leg. Biol J Okayama Univ 15:73–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Land MF (1969) Movements of the retinae of the jumping spiders (Salticidae: Dendryphantinae) in response to visual stimuli. J Exp Biol 51:471–493

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Legendre R (1968) Sur la présence d’un nerf cardiaque chez les Araignées Orthognathes. C R Acad Sci 267:84–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Melamed J, Trujillo-Cenóz O (1971) Innervation of the retinal muscles in wolf spiders (Araneae-Lycosidae). J Ultrastruct Res 35:359–369

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Naidu VD (1974) On the point of origin of heart beat in the scorpion, Heterometrus fulvipes C. Koch. Curr Sci 20:643–645

    Google Scholar 

  • Naidu VD, Padmanabhanaidu B (1975) Physiology of the scorpion heart: Part I - Experimental analysis of neurogenic nature of the heart beat in the scorpion Heterometrus fulvipes C. Koch. Indian J Exp Biol 13:22–26

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Police G (1902) Il nervo del cuore nello Scorpione. Boll Soc Nat Napoli 15:146–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosser CL (1973) Comparative animal physiology, 3rd edn. Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Randall WC (1966) Microanatomy of the heart and associated structures of two scorpions, Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing and Uroctonus mordax Thorell. J Morphol 119:161–180

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rathmayer W (1965) Neuromuscular transmission in a spider and the effect of calcium. Comp Biochem Physiol 14:673–687

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rathmayer W (1966) Die Innervation der Beinmuskeln einer Spinne, Eurypelma hentzi Chamb. (Orthognata, Avicularidae). Verh Dtsch Zool Ges Jena Zool Anz Suppl 29:505–511

    Google Scholar 

  • Root TM, Bowerman RF (1979) Neuromuscular physiology of scorpion leg muscles. Am Zool 19:993

    Google Scholar 

  • Root TM, Bowerman RF (1981) The scorpion walking leg motor system: muscle fine structure. Comp Biochem Physiol 69:73–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruhland M (1976) Untersuchungen zur neuromuskulären Organisation eines Muskels aus Laufbeinregeneraten einer Vogelspinne (Dugesiella hentzi Ch.). Verh Dtsch Zool Ges 1976:238

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruhland M, Rathmayer W (1978) Die Beinmuskulatur und ihre Innervation bei der Vogelspinne Dugesiella hentzi (Ch.) (Araneae, Aviculariidae). Zoomorphologie 89:33–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG (1973a) Ultrastructural features of cardiac muscle cells in a tarantula spider. J Morphol 140:215–242

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG (1973b) Unique arrangement of glial membranes between adjacent neuromuscular synapses in a spider muscle. J Cell Biol 59:234–238

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG (1978) Insensitivity of the spider heart to solitary wasp venom. Comp Biochem Physiol 61 A:611–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG, Bursey CR, Fourtner CR, Pax RA (1969) Cardiac ganglia in spiders (Arachnida: Araneae). Experientia 25:438–439

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG, Luff AR (1971) Structural features of the tarsal claw muscles of the spider Eurypelma marxi Simon. Can J Zool 49:1549–1556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG, Pax RA (1967) A physiological and morphological study of a spider heart. Am Zool 7:190–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG, Pax RA (1968) The heartbeat of the spider Geolycosa missouriensis. Comp Biochem Physiol 26:529–536

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG, Pax RA (1970a) Spider cardiac physiology. II. Responses of a tarantula heart to cholinergic compounds. Comp Gen Pharmacol 1:171–184

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman RG, Pax RA (1970b) Spider cardiac physiology. III. Responses of a tarantula heart to certain catecholamines, amino acids, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Comp Gen Pharmacol 1:185–195

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith DS (1971) On the significance of cross-bridges between microtubules and synaptic vesicles. Philos Trans R Soc London Ser B 261:395–405

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ude J, Richter K (1974) The submicroscopic morphology of the heart ganglion of the spider Tegenaria atrica (C. L. Koch) and its neuroendocrine relations to the myocard. Comp Biochem Physiol 48 A:301–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venkatachari SAT, Naidu VD (1969) Choline esterase activity in the nervous system and the innervated organs of the scorpion, Heterometrus fulvipes. Experientia 25:821–822

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RS (1967) The heartbeat of the spider Heteropoda venatoria. J Insect Physiol 13:1309–1326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zebe E, Rathmayer W (1968) Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen an Spinnenmuskeln. Z Zellforsch 92:377–387

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zwicky KT (1968) Innervation and pharmacology of the heart of Urodacus, a scorpion. Comp Biochem Physiol 24:799–808

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zwicky KT, Hodgson SM (1965) Occurrence of myogenic hearts in arthropods. Nature (London) 207:778–779

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056, USA

    R. G. Sherman

Authors
  1. R. G. Sherman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologisches Institut, Fachbereich Biologie, J.-W.-Goethe-Universität, Siesmayerstraße 70, D-6000, Frankfurt am Main 1, Germany

    Friedrich G. Barth

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1985 Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sherman, R.G. (1985). Neural Control of the Heartbeat and Skeletal Muscle in Spiders and Scorpions. In: Barth, F.G. (eds) Neurobiology of Arachnids. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70348-5_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70348-5_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-70350-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-70348-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation