Dynamic Biological Networks

This introduction to the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) describes some of the best-understood neural networks in the animal kingdom at cellular, network, behavioral, comparative, and evolutionary levels of analysis.

The STNS is a model system for all researchers who are trying to understand how neural networks actually function. The various chapters introduce different aspects of this system, including its neuronal and synaptic properties, modulation, modeling, behavior, and evolution. The concluding chapter compares the properties of this network to other vertebrate and invertebrate networks.

Ronald M. Harris-Warrick is Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. Eve Marder is Professor of Biology at Brandeis University. Allen 1. Selverston is Professor of Biology at the University of California, San Diego. Maurice Moulins is Professor of Biology at the Université de Bordeaux.

Contents: Overview, Bruce R. Johnson and Scott L. Hooper. Cellular and Synaptic Properties in the Crustacean Stomatogastric Nervous System, Daniel K. Hartline and Katherine Graubard. Neuromodulation of Stomatogastric Networks by Identified Neurons and Transmitters, Ronald M. Harris-Warrick, Frédéric Nagy, and Michael P. Nusbaum. Interactions and Combinations between Different Networks in the Stomatogastric Nervous System, Patsy S. Dickinson and Maurice Moulins. Modeling the Stomatogastric Nervous System, Eve Marder and Allen I. Selverston. Behavioral Correlates of Stomatogastric Network Function, Gina G. Turrigiano and Hans-Georg Heinzel. Comparative and Evolutionary Aspects of the Crustacean Stomatogastric System, Paul S. Katz and Kenro Tazaki. Parallels with Other Invertebrate and Vertebrate Motor Systems, Keir G. Pearson and Jan-Marino Ramirez.