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Medecine Sciences : M/S Nov 2014
Topics: Animals; Cell Movement; Centrioles; Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; Cilia; Ciliary Motility Disorders; Embryonic Development; Flagella; Humans; Morphogenesis; Sensation; Sense Organs
PubMed: 25388569
DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20143011001 -
Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part... Sep 2011A century has passed since the discovery of the paratympanic organ (PTO), a mechanoreceptive sense organ in the middle ear of birds and other tetrapods. This luminal... (Review)
Review
A century has passed since the discovery of the paratympanic organ (PTO), a mechanoreceptive sense organ in the middle ear of birds and other tetrapods. This luminal organ contains a sensory epithelium with typical mechanosensory hair cells and may function as a barometer and altimeter. The organ is arguably the most neglected sense organ in living tetrapods. The PTO is believed to be homologous to a lateral line sense organ, the spiracular sense organ of nonteleostean fishes. Our review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the PTO and draws attention to the astounding lack of information about the unique and largely unexplored sensory modality of barometric perception.
Topics: Altitude; Animals; Atmospheric Pressure; Birds; Chickens; Ear, Middle; Epithelium; Fishes; Hair Cells, Auditory; Lateral Line System; Sense Organs; Tympanic Membrane
PubMed: 21721119
DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.21422 -
Hearing Research Feb 2023Hair cells (HCs) are specialised sensory receptors residing in the neurosensory epithelia of inner ear sense organs. The precise morphological and physiological... (Review)
Review
Hair cells (HCs) are specialised sensory receptors residing in the neurosensory epithelia of inner ear sense organs. The precise morphological and physiological properties of HCs allow us to perceive sound and interact with the world around us. Mitochondria play a significant role in normal HC function and are also intricately involved in HC death. They generate ATP essential for sustaining the activity of ion pumps, Ca transporters and the integrity of the stereociliary bundle during transduction as well as regulating cytosolic calcium homoeostasis during synaptic transmission. Advances in imaging techniques have allowed us to study mitochondrial populations throughout the HC, and how they interact with other organelles. These analyses have identified distinct mitochondrial populations between the apical and basolateral portions of the HC, in which mitochondrial morphology appears determined by the physiological processes in the different cellular compartments. Studies in HCs across species show that ototoxic agents, ageing and noise damage directly impact mitochondrial structure and function resulting in HC death. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying this mitochondrial sensitivity, and how their morphology relates to their function during HC death, requires that we first understand this relationship in the context of normal HC function.
Topics: Hair Cells, Auditory; Ear, Inner; Sensory Receptor Cells; Mitochondria; Hair
PubMed: 36525891
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108660 -
Integrative Zoology Jan 2015Despite over 70 years of research on shark repellents, few practical and reliable solutions to prevent shark attacks on humans or reduce shark bycatch and depredation in... (Review)
Review
Despite over 70 years of research on shark repellents, few practical and reliable solutions to prevent shark attacks on humans or reduce shark bycatch and depredation in commercial fisheries have been developed. In large part, this deficiency stems from a lack of fundamental knowledge of the sensory cues that drive predatory behavior in sharks. However, the widespread use of shark repellents is also hampered by the physical constraints and technical or logistical difficulties of deploying substances or devices in an open-water marine environment to prevent an unpredictable interaction with a complex animal. Here, we summarize the key attributes of the various sensory systems of sharks and highlight residual knowledge gaps that are relevant to the development of effective shark repellents. We also review the most recent advances in shark repellent technology within the broader historical context of research on shark repellents and shark sensory systems. We conclude with suggestions for future research that may enhance the efficacy of shark repellent devices, in particular, the continued need for basic research on shark sensory biology and the use of a multi-sensory approach when developing or deploying shark repellent technology.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Electrophysiological Phenomena; Lateral Line System; Predatory Behavior; Sense Organs; Sensory Receptor Cells; Sharks
PubMed: 24919643
DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12095 -
Slit sense organ distribution on the legs of two species of orb-weaving spider (Araneae: Araneidae).Arthropod Structure & Development Mar 2022Biotic and abiotic mechanical stimuli are ubiquitous in the environment, and are a widely used source of sensory information in arthropods. Spiders sense mechanical...
Biotic and abiotic mechanical stimuli are ubiquitous in the environment, and are a widely used source of sensory information in arthropods. Spiders sense mechanical stimuli using hundreds of slit sense organs (small isolated slits, large isolated slits, groups of slits and lyriform organs) distributed across their bodies and appendages. These slit sense organs are embedded in the exoskeleton and detect cuticular strain. Therefore, the spatial pattern of these sensors can give clues into how mechanical stimuli from different sources might be processed and filtered as they are transmitted through the body. Here, we map the distribution of slit sense organs on the legs in two species of orb-weaving spider, A. diadematus and T. edulis, in which slit sense organ distribution has not previously been investigated. We image the spiders' legs using scanning electron microscopy, and trace the position and orientation of slits on these images to describe the distribution and external morphology of the slit sense organs. We show that both species have a similar distribution of slit sense organs, with small isolated slits occurring in consistent lines parallel to the long axis of the legs, whilst large isolated slits, groups of slits and lyriform organs appear in fixed positions near the leg joints. Our findings support what has been described in the literature for several other species of spider, which indicates that slit organ arrangement is conserved across spiders in different evolutionary lineages and with disparate hunting strategies. The dispersed distribution of small isolated slits along the whole length of the leg may be used to detect large-scale strain of the leg segment as a result of muscle activity or internal changes in haemolymph pressure.
Topics: Animals; Extremities; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Sense Organs; Spiders
PubMed: 35137691
DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2022.101140 -
Annual Review of Neuroscience Jul 2019Across the animal kingdom, social interactions rely on sound production and perception. From simple cricket chirps to more elaborate bird songs, animals go to great... (Review)
Review
Across the animal kingdom, social interactions rely on sound production and perception. From simple cricket chirps to more elaborate bird songs, animals go to great lengths to communicate information critical for reproduction and survival via acoustic signals. Insects produce a wide array of songs to attract a mate, and the intended receivers must differentiate these calls from competing sounds, analyze the quality of the sender from spectrotemporal signal properties, and then determine how to react. Insects use numerically simple nervous systems to analyze and respond to courtship songs, making them ideal model systems for uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying acoustic pattern recognition. We highlight here how the combination of behavioral studies and neural recordings in three groups of insects-crickets, grasshoppers, and fruit flies-reveals common strategies for extracting ethologically relevant information from acoustic patterns and how these findings might translate to other systems.
Topics: Animal Structures; Animals; Courtship; Drosophila; Female; Forecasting; Grasshoppers; Gryllidae; Insecta; Male; Mating Preference, Animal; Pattern Recognition, Physiological; Sense Organs; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Species Specificity; Temperature; Time Factors; Vocalization, Animal
PubMed: 30786225
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-061839 -
Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) Jan 2020Here I review, compare, and contrast the neurobiology and behavior of the common, eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) and the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata). These... (Review)
Review
Here I review, compare, and contrast the neurobiology and behavior of the common, eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) and the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata). These two species are part of the same family (Talpidae) and have similar body size and general morphology. But they differ in sensory specializations, complexity of neocortical organization, and behavior. The star-nosed mole has an elaborate mechanosensory organ-the star-consisting of 22 epidermal appendages (rays) covered with 25,000 touch domes called Eimer's organs. This densely innervated structure is represented in the neocortex in three different somatosensory maps, each visible in flattened neocortical sections as a series of 11 modules representing the 11 rays from the contralateral body. The 11th ray is greatly magnified in primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Behavioral studies show the star is moved in a saccadic manner and the 11th ray is a high-resolution tactile fovea, allowing star-nosed moles to forage on small prey with unprecedented speed and efficiency. In contrast, common mole noses lack Eimer's organs, their neocortex contains only two cortical maps of the nose, and they cannot localize small prey. Yet common moles have exceptional olfactory abilities, sniffing in stereo to rapidly localize discrete odor sources originating from larger prey. In addition, common moles are shown to track odorant trails laid down by moving prey. These results highlight the surprising abilities of species once thought to be simple, and the usefulness of diverse species in revealing general principles of brain organization and behavior. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Brain Mapping; Mechanoreceptors; Moles; Sense Organs; Smell; Touch; Touch Perception
PubMed: 30614659
DOI: 10.1002/ar.24057 -
ELife Mar 2024A complete map of the external sense organs shows how fruit fly larvae detect different aspects of their environment.
A complete map of the external sense organs shows how fruit fly larvae detect different aspects of their environment.
Topics: Animals; Larva; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; Sense Organs; Emotions; Drosophila melanogaster
PubMed: 38456840
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.96708 -
The International Journal of... 2007Hearing is a specialized mechanosensory modality that is refined during evolution to meet the particular requirements of different organisms. In the fruitfly,... (Review)
Review
Hearing is a specialized mechanosensory modality that is refined during evolution to meet the particular requirements of different organisms. In the fruitfly, Drosophila, hearing is mediated by Johnston's organ, a large chordotonal organ in the antenna that is exquisitely sensitive to the near-field acoustic signal of courtship songs generated by male wing vibration. We summarize recent progress in understanding the molecular genetic determinants of Johnston's organ development and discuss surprising differences from other chordotonal organs that likely facilitate hearing. We outline novel discoveries of active processes that generate motion of the antenna for acute sensitivity to the stimulus. Finally, we discuss further research directions that would probe remaining questions in understanding Johnston's organ development, function and evolution.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Genes, Insect; Hearing; Mechanoreceptors; Models, Biological; Sense Organs
PubMed: 17891726
DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.072364de -
BioMed Research International 2015Stability and mobility in functional motor activities depend on a precise regulation of phasic and tonic muscular activity that is carried out automatically, without... (Review)
Review
Stability and mobility in functional motor activities depend on a precise regulation of phasic and tonic muscular activity that is carried out automatically, without conscious awareness. The sensorimotor control of posture involves a complex integration of multisensory inputs that results in a final motor adjustment process. All or some of the components of this system may be dysfunctional in Parkinsonian patients, rendering postural instability one of the most disabling features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Balance control is critical for moving safely in and adapting to the environment. PD induces a multilevel impairment of this function, therefore worsening the patients' physical and psychosocial disability. In this review, we describe the complex ways in which PD impairs posture and balance, collecting and reviewing the available experimental evidence.
Topics: Humans; Muscles; Parkinson Disease; Postural Balance; Posture; Sense Organs
PubMed: 25654100
DOI: 10.1155/2015/434683