Adults of Romanomermis culicivorax obtained from mass cultures were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy to determine the organization of their anterior sense organs. The normal pattern apparently consists of two lateral amphids plus six cephalic papillae. Lateral cephalic papillae contain two sense organs, each with a cuticular pore, while subdorsal and subventral papillae...

Cnidaria have traditionally been viewed as the most basal animals with complex, organ-like multicellular structures dedicated to sensory perception. However, sponges also have a surprising range of the genes required for sensory and neural functions in Bilateria. Here, we: (1) discuss "sense organ" regulatory genes, including; sine oculis, Brain 3, and eyes absent, that are expressed in cnidari...

Crocodilians, which include alligators and crocodiles, have a tough exterior with scales covering their dorsal and ventral surfaces. Living on earth before the dinosaurs, these reptilians have evolved a structure that has helped them adapt to the changing environment of earth. This structure is called an integumentary sensory organ (ISO). Integumentary is a term, which refers to the skin surfac...

The metameric organization of the Drosophila melanogaster tail is obscured by developmental events that partially suppress or fuse some of its regions. To better define the developmental origins and segmental identities in the tail of the Drosophila embryo, we documented expression patterns and mutant phenotypes of several genes that play important roles in its morphogenesis. We documented the ...

The brain senses the world indirectly because the sense organs convert stimulation into the language of the nervous system: neural messages. We get used to all but the most extreme or obnoxious stimuli because our senses are built to tell us about change. The senses all operate in much the same way, but each extracts different information and sends it to its own specialized processing region in...