Gronenberg W, Schmitz H
Theodor Boveri Institut der Universität, Lehrstuhl für Verhaltensphysiologie und Soziobiologie, Würzburg, Germany.
Cell Tissue Res. 1999 Aug;297(2):311-8. doi: 10.1007/s004410051359.
Beetles of the genus Melanophila are able to detect infrared radiation by using specialized sensilla in their metathoracic pit organs. We describe the afferent projections of the infrared-sensitive neurons in the central nervous system. The axons primarily terminate in the central neuropil of the fused second thoracic ganglia where they establish putative contacts with ascending interneurons. Only a few collaterals appear to be involved in local (uniganglionic) circuits. About half of the neurons send their axons further anterior to the prothoracic ganglion. A subset of these ascend to the subesophageal ganglion, and about 10% project to the brain. Anatomical similarities suggest that the infrared-sensitive neurons are derived from neurons supplying mechanosensory sensilla. The arborization pattern of the infrared afferents suggests that infrared information is processed and integrated upstream from the thoracic ganglia.
黑腹皮蠹属甲虫能够通过其胸后陷器中的特殊感器检测红外辐射。我们描述了中枢神经系统中红外敏感神经元的传入投射。轴突主要终止于融合的第二胸神经节的中枢神经髓质，在那里它们与上行中间神经元建立假定的联系。只有少数侧支似乎参与局部（单神经节）回路。大约一半的神经元将其轴突进一步向前发送到前胸神经节。其中一部分上升到咽下神经节，约10%投射到脑。解剖学上的相似性表明，红外敏感神经元源自为机械感觉感器提供神经支配的神经元。红外传入纤维的分支模式表明，红外信息在胸神经节的上游进行处理和整合。
