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THE GROWTH OF SEGMENTAL NERVES FROM THE SPINAL CORD TO THE HIND LIMB‐BUD IN THE AXOLOTL
Author(s) -
Freeman JM,
Bennett MR
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1982.14
Subject(s) - axolotl , anatomy , hindlimb , spinal cord , limb bud , biology , regeneration (biology) , neuroscience , embryo , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary It has been concluded from previous experiments involving the growth of segmental nerves from the amphibian spinal cord to the limb‐bud that axons are attracted to the limb‐bud region by their target tissue (Hamburger, 1929; Hughes and Tschumi, 1958). In the present study this hypothesis has been tested by obstructing the pathways over which the nerves normally grow. It was found that for those nerves which were marginally obstructed far fewer axons were able to reach their target. The spinal ganglia associated with these nerves contained up to 50% fewer cells than the adjacent unobstructed segmental level. These results suggest that nerves are not attracted from the spinal cord by the target tissue, but rather that the pathways provided by the axial segmental nerves are essential if a normal number of axons are to reach their target.