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Science 14 May 1982:
Vol. 216. no. 4547, pp. 751 - 753
DOI: 10.1126/science.216.4547.751
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Articles

Suppression of Reflex Postural Tonus: A Role of Peripheral Inhibition in Insects

SASHA N. ZILL 1 and DAVID T. MORAN 2

1 Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403
2 Department of Anatomy, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262

Postural reflexes act through a single excitatory motoneuron of the several that innervate a flexor muscle of the cockroach leg. A peripheral inhibitory neuron whose axon accompanies this excitatory motoneuron is able to suppress muscle tensions developed from postural reflexes without affecting centrally generated muscle tensions. The inhibitory neuron could thus serve to rapidly suppress postural tensions at the initiation of escape.

Submitted on December 21, 1981
Revised on March 8, 1982

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)