Physiology
Each sensory neuron within a nerve net responds to each stimulus, like odors or tactile stimuli. Signaling happens at synapses using chemical stimulants. The motor neurons communicate with cells via chemical synapse to produce a certain reaction to a certain stimuli. A stronger stimulus produces a stronger reaction from the organism and vice versa. In a typical unmyelinated axon, the action potential is conducted at a rate of about 5 meters per second, compared to a myelinated human neural fiber which conducts at around 120 meters per second.
While nerve nets use hormones, the total physiology isn’t very well understood. Hormones normally found in vertebrates have been identified in nerve net tissues. Whether they serve the same function as those found in vertebrates isn’t known and little research has been performed to solve the question. Hormones such as steroids, neuropeptides, indolamines, and other iodinated organic compounds have been seen in tissues of cnidarians. These hormones play a role in multiple pathways in vertebrae neurophysiology and endocrine system including reward and complex biochemical stimulation pathways for regulation of lipid synthesis or similar sex steroids.
Since cnidarian cells are not organized into organ systems it is difficult to assume the role of the endocrine-nerve net system employed by these types of species. A nerve net is considered to be a separate structure in the cnidarians and is associated with signal molecules; it is primarily considered a neurochemical pathway. Potential signal molecules have been noted in certain nerve net anatomy. How the signal molecules work is not known. It has been shown, however, that the nematocyst (stinging) response is not related to nerve activity.
Read more about this topic: Nerve Net
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