Nerve cells of different functions cannot be differentiated histologically by staining methods. In order to prove chemical differences it is necessary t o affect the function of a given type of neuron by the action of a chemical agent. Thus Baglioni 1 has demonstrated a chemical difference between sensory and motor cells in the frog and the squid, by showing that phenol is an excitant for the m...

In hydrostatic skeletons, it is the internal fluid under pressure surrounded by a body wall in tension (rather than a rigid lever) that enables the stiffening of the organism, the antagonism of muscles and the transmission of force from the muscles to the environment. This study examined the ontogenetic effects of body size on force production by an organism supported with a hydrostatic skeleto...

Since the first introduction of genetically engineered (GE) plants, one of the major concerns has been their potential effects on non-target organisms and ecosystem services. We focused in this study on the earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris as important ecosystem engineer and studied its performance when feeding on GE antifungal wheat. We compared litter consumption, weight change and mort...

The gut of many soil arthropods contains a complex and mutualistic microbial community that usually assists the host with digestion. The same is probably true for earthworms, but the nature and function of the microbiota inhabiting their gut are virtually unknown. In this paper, we studied the microbial community in the gut content of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. and in the bulk soil b...