This paper reports a preliminary investigation into physiological and pharmacological aspects of the motor activity of the digestive tract of Octopus vulgaris, with reference to the relevant anatomy. The results suggest that the octopus gut shows many similarities to some vertebrate guts in terms of functional morphology and motor control. Pharmacological experiments suggest that acetylcholine, noradrenaline and 5HT may act as neurotransmitters and probably regulate the digestive activity by antagonistic actions, reminiscent of the classical divisions of the vertebrate autonomic nervous system. Histochemical evidence is presented that some of these substances are located in the nerves and ganglia of the digestive tract.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.