NIH VideoCast - The Shocking Abilities of Electric Eels

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The Shocking Abilities of Electric Eels

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Air date:	Monday, February 27, 2017, 12:00:00 PM Time displayed is Eastern Time, Washington DC Local
Views:	Total views: 304 (20 Live, 284 On-demand)
Category:	Neuroscience
Runtime:	01:03:52
Closed captioning:	Check box to display CC outside of the video Note: You can drag the captioning window around and resize it
Description:	NIH Neuroscience Series Seminar Dr. Catania’s lab studies animal sensory systems with a focus on brain organization, evolution, and behavior. They investigate sensory specialists because such species reveal general principles of brain function. Recently studied species include star-nosed moles, naked mole-rats, water shrews, and grasshopper mice. They also study the senses and brains of non-mammals including snakes, alligators, and crocodiles. One line of research is aimed at determining how cortical areas in mammals are organized and adapted to represent and process sensory information. Star-nosed moles are the focus of many investigations because they have an elaborate set of touch receptors (the star) that project information to large brain areas containing anatomically visible sensory maps. This allows studies of brain function that are not possible in other species. They also examine brain organization in a range of animals to determine how brains are organized and (in collaboration with other neuroscientists) how brains evolved. They are also interested in understanding the relationship between different habitats and sensory adaptions. Dr. Catania’s lab loves a mystery. Unexplained sensory abilities or anatomical structures are fertile ground for new discoveries. Funding from the MacArthur foundation has given them the flexibility to conduct several lines of research into mysterious behaviors or anatomy. Studies of the unusual appendages and predatory abilities of tentacled snakes, the strange behavior of worms in the Apalachicola National Forest, and the ability of some mammals to “sniff” while underwater are examples of these studies. For more information go to https://neuroscience.nih.gov/neuroseries/Home.aspx

NLM Title:	The shocking abilities of electric eels / Kenneth Catania.
Author:	Catania, Kenneth. National Institutes of Health (U.S.),
Publisher:
Abstract:	(CIT): NIH Neuroscience Series Seminar. Dr. Catania"s lab studies animal sensory systems with a focus on brain organization, evolution, and behavior. They investigate sensory specialists because such species reveal general principles of brain function. Recently studied species include star-nosed moles, naked mole-rats, water shrews, and grasshopper mice. They also study the senses and brains of non-mammals including snakes, alligators, and crocodiles. One line of research is aimed at determining how cortical areas in mammals are organized and adapted to represent and process sensory information. Star-nosed moles are the focus of many investigations because they have an elaborate set of touch receptors (the star) that project information to large brain areas containing anatomically visible sensory maps. This allows studies of brain function that are not possible in other species. They also examine brain organization in a range of animals to determine how brains are organized and (in collaboration with other neuroscientists) how brains evolved. They are also interested in understanding the relationship between different habitats and sensory adaptions. Dr. Catania's lab loves a mystery. Unexplained sensory abilities or anatomical structures are fertile ground for new discoveries. Funding from the MacArthur foundation has given them the flexibility to conduct several lines of research into mysterious behaviors or anatomy. Studies of the unusual appendages and predatory abilities of tentacled snakes, the strange behavior of worms in the Apalachicola National Forest, and the ability of some mammals to "sniff" while underwater are examples of these studies.
Subjects:	Behavior, Animal Electrophorus--physiology Electrophysiological Phenomena
Publication Types:	Lecture Webcast

NLM Classification:	QL 639.1
NLM ID:	101702177
CIT Live ID:	19864
Permanent link:	https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=19864

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