Summary
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1.
Bilateral eyestalk ablation of spiny lobsters results in:
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a)
loss of responsiveness to chemical stimulation of antennular chemoreceptors
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b)
increased tendency to positive responses following tactile and chemo-tactile stimulation of dactyl receptors
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c)
increased tendency to grasp and ingest non-food objects
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d)
disturbance of feeding efficiency associated with discoordination of feeding movements and prolonged periods during which food is held but not devoured.
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2.
Progressive ablation of the eyestalk ganglia indicates that the loss of the innermost, the medulla terminalis, is responsible for the above effects. Blinding or optic ganglion removal alone is without significant effect.
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3.
The observations strongly suggest that the medulla terminalis exerts an active regulatory or modulating influence on the spatial-temporal neural constructs responsible for feeding behavior. In this it resembles the functional role ascribed to the amygdala and frontal orbital cortex in mammals.
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Contribution 476 from the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, Inc., St. George's, Bermuda.
We wish to express our appreciation for the cooperation of the staff of the Bermuda Biological Station. This work was supported by NINDS Grant NB-06017 from the USPHS.
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Maynard, D.M., Sallee, A. Disturbance of feeding behavior in the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, following bilateral ablation of the Medulla terminalis . Z. Vergl. Physiol. 66, 123–140 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297774
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297774