Question

1.       Define habituation and sensitization and describe how these can be demonstrated in the gill withdrawal reflex of Aplysia californica both behaviorally and in an isolated nerve preparation.

2.       Describe the cellular basis of habituation and sensitization in Aplysia.

Answer 1

Habituation is the process of people or animals becoming used to something, so that they no longer find it unpleasant or think it is athreat .

sensitisation is the opposite process to habituation, i.e. an increase in the elicited behavior from repeated presentation of a stimulus.

Gill withdrawl reflex of aplysia california is an involuntary reflex of a kind of marine animal named aplysia california. This reflex cause the retraction of gills of aplysia california when it get disturbed.

It is used in neural research sciences because of simple and large size of neural cavity. This property of aplysia california make it prior to study gill and siphon withdrawl reflex.