Calaveras County jumping frogs move over. Here come the Oregon roundworms!
We have all sorts of animal studies trying to discover mechanisms of human physical and psychological function. Rat studies, dog studies. But...worm studies?
Researchers at the University of Oregon have discovered that woms perform a calculus based on their sensing of salt to determine whether to proceed straight ahead (high salt) or stop and consider other options. If this were the Calaveras County (CA) jumping frog race, we'd put our money on the high-salt roundworm.
Read about it in the July 3 edition of Nature as reported in advance by Physorg.com from which was gleaned this explanatory graphic. A spike in salt concentration in ASEL (left neuron) activates expression that leads a worm to proceed in a straight line. A dip in salt levels in ASER (right neuron) turns on a negative reaction that tells a worm to change to a turning movement to look around. Graphic courtesy of Shawn Lockery.
