Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Siddharth Ramakrishnan (Neuroscience)
TH 175
Central Pattern Generators (CPG) are neural circuits that control rhythmic motor activity underlying behaviors such as locomotion, feeding, respiration etc. Many such CPGs are multifunctional - the same network is modulated to elicit different behaviors (walking vs swimming, inhalation vs exhalation etc.). Using the pond snail feeding CPG as the model system, I will show the variety involved in motor patterns and their modulation both by environmental stimuli and internal hormones. The audience will gain an appreciation for the snail as an elegant model system, the intricacies of pattern generation and the beauty behind motor activity.