Normal electrical activity in smooth muscle is dependent on the presence of calcium in the extracellular fluid (Bennett, 1967; Brading, Bülbring & Tomita, 1969; Mangel & Prosser, 1980; Weigel, Connor & Prosser, 1979). However, it has recently been demonstrated that calcium-free solutions containing EGTA induce two types of spontaneous electrical activity in visceral smooth muscle. Prolonged depolarizations of about 17 s were recorded under these conditions from segments of cat small intestine and the stomach of the skate, toad or frog (Prosser et al. 1977), while rat small intestine produced fast electrical potentials of approximately 0·85 s duration (Mangel & Nelson, 1978). Since both potential types were eliminated by removal of external sodium or by addition of calcium channel blockers, it was concluded that their mechanism of generation consisted of sodium ions traversing channels normally used by calcium. In this...
Using the reactive scope model to redefine social stress in fishes
In their Review, Katie Gilmour and colleagues redefine the ambiguous concept of social stress by using the reactive scope model as a framework to explain the divergent physiological phenotypes of dominant and subordinate fishes.
JEB grants to support junior faculty
Learn about the grants that we launched in 2023 to support junior faculty from two of our awardees: Erin Leonard, Early-Career Researcher (ECR) Visiting Fellowship recipient, and Pauline Fleischmann, Research Partnership Kickstart Travel Grant recipient. The next deadline to apply is 6 June 2025.
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels survive extraordinarily low blood oxygen
Brynne Duffy and colleagues reveal that thirteen-lined ground squirrels are true hypoxia champions surviving extreme low blood oxygen, down to just 34% oxygen, when they emerge briefly from hibernation.
The Company of Biologists Workshops
For the last 15 years, our publisher, The Company of Biologists, has provided an apt environment to inspire biology and support biologists through our Workshops series. Read about the evolution of the Workshop series and revisit JEB's experience with hosting the first Global South Workshop.
Fast & Fair peer review
Our sister journal Biology Open has recently launched the next phase of their Fast & Fair peer review initiative: offering high-quality peer review within 7 working days. To learn more about BiO’s progress and future plans, read the Editorial by Daniel Gorelick, or visit the Fast & Fair peer review page.
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