Abstract
The primary purpose of these procedures is to demonstrate for teaching and research purposes how to record the activity of living primary sensory neurons responsible for proprioception as they are detecting joint position and movement, and muscle tension. Electrical activity from crustacean proprioceptors and tension receptors is recorded by basic neurophysiological instrumentation, and a transducer is used to simultaneously measure force that is generated by stimulating a motor nerve. In addition, we demonstrate how to stain the neurons for a quick assessment of their anatomical arrangement or for permanent fixation. Staining reveals anatomical organization that is representative of chordotonal organs in most crustaceans. Comparing the tension nerve responses to the proprioceptive responses is an effective teaching tool in determining how these sensory neurons are defined functionally and how the anatomy is correlated to the function. Three staining techniques are presented allowing researchers and instructors to choose a method that is ideal for their laboratory.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-24-2013
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.3791/51050
Repository Citation
Majeed, Zana R.; Titlow, Josh; Hartman, H. Bernard; and Cooper, Robin L., "Proprioception and Tension Receptors in Crab Limbs: Student Laboratory Exercises" (2013). Biology Faculty Publications. 75.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_facpub/75
Notes/Citation Information
Published in Journal of Visualized Experiments, v. 80, e51050, p. 1-16.
Copyright © 2013 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.