The ascending branch of Mauthner's axon in xenopus: Its possible role in startle reflexes

摘要

AbstractA major branch of Mauthner's (M‐) axon has been found in larvae ofXenopus laevis(Daudin). After giving off an inhibitory collateral toward the contralateral M‐cell, the branch continues forward to the preoptic nucleus of the forebrain. Following stimulation of the M‐cell, the function of the ascending branch of its axon may be to elicit startle responses corresponding to the defensive hypothalamic responses of higher verteb