Abstract
The theme of this chapter is how the properties and interactions of identified neurons underlie behavior in insects. I first present background material on the neuronal environment and on the intrinsic properties of neurons. The types of neuronal interaction are reviewed and include chemical, electrical, potassium ion accumulation and presynaptic inhibition. Neuronal circuitry is best known in the flight and Jumping systems of orthopterans. This field is reviewed with special reference to gating of information flow, burst generation and mutability of the circuit. The discussion speculates on the areas of research likely to be fruitful in the near future, and on whether much of the complexity in the nervous system has adaptive function.
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Robertson, R.M. (1987). Insect Neurons: Synaptic Interactions, Circuits and the Control of Behavior. In: Ali, M.A. (eds) Nervous Systems in Invertebrates. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1955-9_14
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