A lab using C. elegans to investigate the nervous system and behavior
Jessica Goldstein
Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2009, Volume 30
Abstract
This lab focuses on the sensory nervous system which is responsible for detecting external, environmental signals. These environmental signals can come in many forms: light, sound, heat, etc. Chemosensation, the ability to detect different chemicals in the environment, is one very important sense that provides many organisms with information about their environment. To detect chemicals in the environment, humans use specialized sensory neurons called chemoreceptors in their mouth (taste receptors) and our nose (olfactory receptors). Similar to humans, C. elegans use specialized chemoreceptors located in their head to sense chemicals in their environment. These chemoreceptors are open to the external environment and relay information to the nematode about the type of environment it is in (whether there is food, toxins, other worms, etc).
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