Evidence is presented to show that the electrical activity of the salivary glands of Philine aperta is controlled by two largely independent systems which elicit different responses from salivary acinar cells. The excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) recorded from salivary cells result from the activity of a pair of identified buccal ganglion neurones. Each of these salivary effector neurones innervates only the ipsilateral gland. The effector neurones are driven to fire by synaptic input which is timed to occur during the retraction phase of the feeding cycle. Gland cell excitatory post-synaptic potentials (EPSPs) and action potentials appear to be mediated by a small group of peripheral neurones located at the base of each salivary gland. These cells give rise to a tract of fibres which cross to the contralateral gland and which may be responsible for communicating EPSP/action potential activity between the glands. The possible functions of the EJP and EPSP/spiking activities are discussed.
In the field: an interview with Harald Wolf
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In our new Conversation, Harald Wolf talks about his fieldwork experiences working with desert ants in Tunisia to understand their navigation.
Propose a new Workshop
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Our Workshops bring together leading experts and early-career researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds. Applications are now open to propose Workshops for 2024, one of which will be held in a Global South country.
Julian Dow steps down and John Terblanche joins the JEB team
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After 15 years with the journal, Julian Dow from University of Glasgow, UK, is stepping down as a Monitoring Editor. We wish Julian all the best for the future and welcome John Terblanche, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, who is joining the team. Julian talks about his long association with The Company of Biologists and the journal and John tells us about his life and career in this News article.
The capture of crude oil droplets by filter feeders at high and low Reynolds numbers
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Researchers from the University of Montreal, Canada, reveal how tiny filter feeding barnacles and Daphnia entrap and consume minute droplets of crude oil, introducing the pollutant at the bottom of the food chain.
Patterns and processes in amphibious fish
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In their Review, Keegan Lutek, Cassandra Donatelli and Emily Standen discuss the biomechanics and neural control of terrestrial locomotion in amphibious fish. They explore how locomotor mode depends on body shape, physical constraints and phylogeny.
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