- Comb jellies, also known as ctenophores, are sea creatures with jelly-like bodies and iridescent combs.
- They are an old animal lineage with their own neurological system.
- A recent study published in Science looked at the neurological system of comb jelly and made some interesting findings.
What exactly are Comb Jellies?
- Ctenophores, or comb jellies, are marine creatures that belong to the phylum Ctenophora. They are enthralling creatures with a distinct and delicate appearance.
- Contrary to popular belief, comb jellies are not genuine jellyfish.
- They have a gelatinous, translucent body that is typically luminous and ornamented with rows of cilia, or comb-like features that give them their distinctive shimmering appearance.
Results of the new study
- The researchers wanted to look into how nerve net neurons link in comb jellies.
- Synapses (junctions between neurons) were not present in the nerve net, contrary to predictions.
- Instead, nerve-net neurons were linked together indefinitely by a single plasma membrane.
Significance of ctenophores
- Electron microscopy proved the separate-cell nature of neurons connected by synapses in the 1950s.
- Ctenophores, as discovered in the present study, challenge this concept by having a syncytial nerve net.
- Ctenophores drew attention since they were thought to be an early animal lineage.
- Whole-genome sequencing research backs up the idea that ctenophores diverged early in animal evolution.
Ctenophore nervous systems evolve
- Biologists are still puzzled about the evolution of ctenophore neural systems.
- Leonid Moroz offered a contentious idea of ctenophores’ and other animals’ separate nervous system evolution.
- Ctenophores have a distinct neural system that lacks traditional neurotransmitter routes and common neuronal genes.
- The lack of muscular movement and reliance on cilia may have led to the evolution of a distinct signal conduction mechanism.
Further research questions
- The researchers hope to learn more about the formation of nerve net neurons in ctenophores.
- They want to know if adult ctenophores keep their syncytial nerve nets or acquire synapses.
- The peculiarity of ctenophore neural systems provides vital insights into nervous system evolution.
- Comparative studies of unusual animal systems, such as ctenophores, help to understand neural function and treat problems.
Conclusion
- More research is needed to understand the functional and evolutionary importance of syncytial nerve net neurons in ctenophores.
- This research lays the groundwork for future research on the evolution of neural systems in animals.
- Comparative research on microscopic marine animals such as ctenophores reveal fundamental aspects of brain function.
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/jellyfish-nervous-system-animal