Desheathing the buccal ganglion of Aplysia californica

The nervous system of Aplysia is valued by neuroscientists for its large, pigmented neurons. To expose the neuron cell bodies for electrical recording and stimulation, the protective sheath covering the neurons must be partially or fully removed. Video credit: Dr. Hui Lu. 00:00 Pinning the buccal ganglia 05:33 Thinning the sheath 14:59 Removing the sheath 26:36 Rotating the ganglion Using the tools of neuroscience and biomechanics, the Chiel lab at Case Western Reserve University studies the feeding system of the sea slug Aplysia californica to better understand how the brain and body work together to generate adaptive behavior.