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News Release 10-205
The Zebrafish's Neural Circuit Prevents It From Biting Off More Than It Can Chew
Inhibiting certain brain cells sharpens animal's response to small and quick visual stimuli
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Small prey-like items elicit a quick response from zebrafish larvae, as excitatory brain cells fire. However, large visual stimulus covering the zebrafish's field of vision fires off inhibitory cells, and the zebrafish responds less to it. This mechanism allows the zebrafish to have a good hunting response to the appropriate visual cues, and not bite off more than it can chew.
Credit: Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation
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The researchers' findings are described in the Oct. 29 issue of the journal Science.
Credit: Copyright AAAS 2010
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