Recently in my lab I have been segmenting light sheet microscopy images of the entire slug brain. The animal used was an adult sea slug with a fully developed nervous system. Sea slugs are interesting neural subjects because their digestive system extends right through the brain. The adult slug brain contains 2 rhinophore ganglia, 2 cerebral pleural ganglia, 2 pedal ganglia, and 2 buccal ganglia. I have also used the software to identify the eye in these images, the optic lobe, and the statocyst, a small sensory organs that aids in balance and orientation. The different ganglion lobes are connected to each other via commisures, although these are harder to see than the bright ganglia in the light sheet images.
In addition to brain segemntation, I am also completing behavioral hormone experiments in juvenile sea slugs. The hormones in question have already been tested in adult slugs, so hopefully the results of my experiments can give some insight about sensory organ development in this species.
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