The Effect of Heat on the Spiking Patterns of the Cells in Aplysia

Hyun, Nam Gyu

Abstract

Fruitful findings have been produced from five out of sixty cells which were obtained from each 63 individual Aplisia caught at the Jeju coast. Spiking patterns of three out of five cells, such as relaxation oscillator, bursting within a short time of the inter-burst interval, chaotic bursting, period doubling sequences, bursting with long trains of action potentials separated by short silent periods, regular repeated beating or elliptic bursting, and silent states had been changed in order as the temperature was lowered to 10 degrees C from 32 degrees C. In the intervals of every about 40 minutes repeated ups and downs of temperature produced similar firing patterns at the allowable temperature ranges. The other two cells showed difference from these. The amplitudes of the action potentials of the two cells will not be highly decreased in 24 hours. Average spike frequencies, the inter-burst interval, peak to peak spike amplitude of action potentials, minimum potential values are compared and analyzed by using the computer programme. The spike frequencies according to temperature show the distribution of bell type, with maximal spike frequencies at intermediate temperatures and minimal ones at either end. The most common pattern consist of high spike frequency during falling and low one during rising temperatures.