Mechanoreceptors and electroreceptors

What are Mechanoreceptors?

Sensory receptors that detect physical deformation of their plasma membranes due to stimuli such as touch, pressure, and vibration.

Where are mechanoreceptors often found?

head but can be found thorax, wings, or legs of diff species

What are Mechanically Gated Ion Channels?

Channels in mechanoreceptors that open or close in response to mechanical stimuli like pressure and sound.

What is a Lateral Line System?

- A system in fish that detects changes in water pressure using mechanoreceptors

What are Statocysts?

- Sensory organs in invertebrates that help with equilibrium and balance.

What are Vibrissae (Whiskers)?

Specialized mechanoreceptors in terrestrial mammals used for tactile sensing.

What is Infrasound?

- Low-frequency sound below human hearing, used by elephants for long-distance communication.

What are Pacinian Corpuscles?

Mechanoreceptors in the skin that detect pressure and vibration.

What is Wake Following?

A predatory strategy where catfish track prey using mechanoreceptors to detect water disturbances.

What are Substrate-Borne Vibrations?

Vibrations traveling through surfaces, detected by animals like antlions to locate prey.

What is Echolocation?

A process used by bats and dolphins to navigate and find prey by emitting sound waves and interpreting the returning echoes.

What is Ampullae of Lorenzini?

Specialized electroreceptors in sharks and rays that detect weak electric fields.

What are Electroreceptors?

Sensory receptors that detect electric fields in water, used for communication, predation, and navigation.

What is Tympanal Organ?

A hearing organ in insects that allows them to detect high-frequency sounds, such as bat echolocation.

What is Antipredator Behavior in Mantids?

Mantis insects detect ultrasonic bat pulses and respond by diving or changing flight patterns to escape.

What is Coevolutionary Arms Race?

The ongoing adaptation between predators and prey, where improvements in one species drive counter-adaptations in the other.

What were the experiments used to demonstrate mechanoreceptors?

• Long-Distance communication in elephants

• Lateral line system

• Antlion mechanoreception

Summarize the experiment of long distance communication in elephants? What were the research Questions? What were the results?

• RQ: Do elephants use infrasounds to maintain contact over long distances?

• Results: Group responded to the vocalization of familiar members up to 1 km and moved toward the sound

  • Unfamiliar calls caused elephants to assume a defensive stance

• Conclusion: Elephants use infrasounds to maintain contact up to 1 km and can detect unfamiliar groups up to 1.5 km away

Summarize the experiment of the lateral line system in fish? What were the research Questions? What were the results?

• RQ: how do nocturnal catfish find food in the dark?

• Treatments groups:

  • Ablate lateral line

  • Ablate gestation,olfaction, remove dorsal medulla oblongata

  • control kept intact

• results: 80% of moving guppies were attacked

• conclusion: lateral line important for tracking prey

Summarize the experiment of antlion mechanoreception? What were the research Questions? What were the results?

• RQ: how do antlions detect prey in sand pits

  • they have mechanoreceptor sensilla on head, legs, and abdomen

• methods: Artificially created the walking ant substrate waves using a condenser microphone.

• result:

  • No antlions responded to the needle without vibrations

  • 26 of 30 antlions tossed sand in the direction of the vibration

  • 13 of 30 antlions attacked the needle making vibrations

• Conclusion: Antlions can detect substrate-borne vibrations from prey in their sand pit.

What were the examples that demonstrated echolocation?

• Bats: receptor cells in the inner ear are extremely sensitive

• Dolphins: lipid-filled melon and fluid-filled cavity in lower jaw

What are the three phases of prey pursuit and capture?

1. Search

2. approach

3. terminal buzz

What experiment showed electroreceptors?

Sharks and electrodes

What are the Functions of electroreception?

1. Social Communication

2. Predation

3. Awareness (predator avoidance, spatial orientation, navigation)

Summarize the experiment that demonstrated sharks use electroreceptors. What were the research Questions? What were the results?

• RQ: are electrical cues of olfactory cues more important in sharks for finding prey

• Experiment: different set ups where sharks could only smell fish because it was buried. electrodes also buried

• results: sharks attack electrodes

Who uses electroreception?

• platypus

• rays

• catfish

• sharks

• paddle fish

What experiment showed predator and prey sensory system co-evolve?

Mantids and bats

Summarize the experiment of mantids and that showed coevolution between predator and prey? What were the research Questions? What were the results?

• RQ: How effective are the antipredator behaviors?

• Hypothesis: The ability to detect ultrasonic frequency provides a strong survival advantage to prey

• methods:

  • Filled their single tympanal organ with Vaseline to deafen some and left others as controls

  • Conducted bat-mantid interactions in free-flight encounters in the flight room

• Results control escaped 74% of trial by initiating dive just before attack

• conclusion: ultrasonic detection is effective antipredator behavior