The Cerebral Neurosecretory System, Secretory End-Foot System and Infracerebral Gland-a Probable Neuroendocrine Complex in<i>Nephtys</i>(Annelida; Polychaeta)

The infracerebral gland of Nereis is made up of three types of cells. C, cells are hypertrophied pericapsular elements, whereas C, and C, cells have the morphological and cytological features of neurosecretory neurons. C, and C, cells give rise to centripetal "proximal processes" which extend into the brain through the midventral pocket formed by delamination of the brain capsule. Their "distal processes" terminate within the gland or its immediate vicinity. "Centrifugal fibers" arise from nerve cells located within the brain and appear to synapse upon the proximal processes of c, cells in the region of the midventral pocket and in the ventral region of the brain. The cytology of C, and C, cells suggests that they are the source of distinct peptide hormones.

Further observations on the fine structure of the infracerebral gland in Nereis (Annelida; Polychaeta) — C₂ and C₃ cells; centripetal and centrifugal fibers

Whittle

Golding

1976

Intralamellar neurohemal complexes in the cerebral commissure of the leech Macrobdella decora (Say, 1824): An electron microscope study

Webb

1980

Electron microscopy of the cerebral ganglionic commissure of the leech Macrobdella decora (Say, 1824) revealed numerous neurosecretory axons terminating in the neural lamella of both the inner and outer capsules, and in the neural lamella deep within the neuropile. The proximal protions of the terminals, with an investment of glial tissue, contain either numerous large homogeneously electron dense granules, or numerous large granules of varying electron density. The distal portions, often devoid of glia, display numerous infoldings, omega profiles, and electron dense focal sites, and contain numerous neurosecretory granules, small lucent vesicles, and, occasionally, acanthosomes. Statistical analysis of the size distribution and morphology of the neurosecretory granules showed that in many individual terminals the granules are not significantly different from those seen within four groups of neurosecretory cells found in the cerebral ganglion. These terminals, because of their diffuse nature, probably represent a neurohemal complex of a primitive nature. The term "intralamellar complexes" is proposed to describe the form and location of these neurosecretory terminals.

The nervous system of the tube‐worm Chaetopterus variopedatus (Polychaeta)

Martin

Anctil

1984

Silver impregnation of serial histological sections of the tubeworm Chaetopterus variopedatus revealed the presence of a subepidermal nervous system. The anterior nervous system is delimited by the first 11 segments and comprises (1) two dorsolateral cerebral ganglia and lateral instead of ventral nerve cords which are widely separated and thus connected by unusually long commissures, (2) a pharyngeal ganglion in the fourth segment which is connected to the cerebral ganglia by pharyngeal nerves and constitutes along with the pharyngeal plexus a stomatogastric or enteric nervous system, and (3) small, presumably segmental ganglionic swellings along the lateral nerve cords from which emerge commissures and parapodial nerves. No subesophageal ganglion or periesophageal connective could be identified. The lateral nerve cords converge toward the midline in the 12th segment to form the posterior nervous system comprising a pair of ventromedian nerve cords with their repetitive segmental ganglia from which emerge numerous short commissures and three segmental nerves coursing toward the dorsal and ventral regions of parapods and toward the neuropod. Light and electron microscopic investigations of cerebral and segmental ganglia showed an arrangement of inner neuropile and of unipolar neuron somata at the periphery. The neuropile comprises numerous neurites ranging in diameter from 0.5 to 10 μm and making polarized or symmetrical synaptic junctions with each other. The pharyngeal ganglion consists of a similar neuropile and of a large mass of cell bodies which is traversed by an elaborate network of sinuses and harbors three types of neurosecretory cells in addition to the conventional neuron somata. These findings are interpreted in the framework of the highly specialized morphological features and habits of Chaetopterus, and the welldeveloped stomatogastric system is considered to be related to control of the feeding activities.