| Evolution of coordinating systems |
Coordinated contractions in cellular sponges |
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| Many demosponges can propagate contractions across the whole body in response to mechanical stimuli (perhaps sediment, or disturbance by waves or fishes). The stereotypical manner in which these contractions occur implies that cells must communicate both to trigger the start of the contraction and to propagate contractions. |
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Using freshwater sponges,
which hatch from over-wintering cysts or gemmules (top right), we
are investigating whether the propagated signal is a calcium wave. This project is led by Glen Elliott (Ph.D. candidate) |
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Movies below are from the Journal of Experimental Biology. You will need Quicktime to view them. movie S1.mov
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