required reading:
Gronenberg W (1995) The fast mandible
strike in the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus: I. Temporal properties and morphological
characteristics. J Comp Physiol 176: 391-398.
pdf-file
Gronenberg W (1995). The fast mandible
strike in the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus: II. Motor control. J Comp Physiol A
176: 399-408.
pdf-file
questions:
1.Describe the experimental
setup that allowed recording of the temporal properties of the fast mandible
strike in the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus.
2.Wat is the latency of the entire reflex? Is velocity uniform during the fast
mandible strike or does it change throughout the reflex?
3.How does the mandible morphology allow for locking in position prior to the
fast mandible strike? What allows the mandible to become unlocked?
4.What different muscles control the movement of the mandible? What is the function
of the apodeme?
5.Describe the experimental setup used to record action potentials from the
mandible muscles.
6.What is the activity of the opener and closer muscles during spontaneous opening
and closing of the mandible? During forced opening? During the fast mandible
strike? How does the activity of the opener muscle differ from the activity
of the trigger muscle?
7.Describe the basic components and wiring of the fast neuronal pathway underlying
the fast mandible strike.
8.What characteristics or components of the neuronal pathway contribute to the
speed of the fast mandible strike reflex?
9.Besides sensory neuron input, what other types of input do the large dendritic
trees of the motor neurons receive? What might be the behavioral significance
of sensory convergence at the motor neurons controlling the fast mandible strike?
PDF-file
of power-point lecture (about 2 MB)
background reading:
Gronenberg W (1996) Fast Actions in Small Animals: Springs and Click Mechanisms.
J. Comp. Physiol. A 178:727-734.
Links:
Social
insects world wide web
images
of ants. Try "odontomachus", "Anochetus", "Strumigenys" for images
of trap-jaw ants.
trap-jaws in
spanish
ant homes
Locust jump
