Brain and Behavior

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LG reflexes and serotonin:
behavioral changes from the brain!?


Furthermore, there is an even greater difference between dominant and subordinate crayfish. When scientists inject a chemical into the nervous system called serotonin, a crayfish will react differently according to its social status. When serotonin is injected into a crayfish that has been isolated for a long period of time (and therefore is neither subordinate or dominant), then the LG responses of the crayfish are increased. However, if serotonin is injected into a subordinate crayfish, then its LG reflexes will be inhibited! Like the isolated crayfish, if serotonin is injected into a dominant crayfish, then its LG reflexes are increased.

According to what we learned from the other examples previously, a behavior difference in individuals of the same species tends to be accompanied also by some kind of brain difference.

So, to understand this information about the crayfish, our thought is probably that there must be something about the brain of a dominant or subordinate crayfish that causes it to behave differently with the presence of a neurochemical.

Wow- there must be something about their brains that causes them to react differently, right?

Remind me again what the LG reflex (tail flipping) is, please.

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