Department of Cellular Neurobiology
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology
Dr. Ralf Heinrich
Dept. of Cellular Neurobiology
Schwann-Schleiden Research Center
Julia-Lermontova-Weg 3
37077 Göttingen
Phone: +49(0)551 / 39177958
Fax: +49(0)551 / 39177952
E-mail: rheinri1@gwdg.de
Behavior is the product of complex interactions between various
types of neurons that integrate external sensory information with
internal physiological states. Our lab is especially interested in
central nervous and humoral mechanisms underlying the selection and
adaptation of actions that are most appropriate for the particular
situation an animal encounters. Motivational systems in general bias an
organism to perform most useful actions to secure survival and
reproduction by influencing the initiation, intensity, direction and
persistence of behaviors. We study the neurochemical mechanisms
underlying motivational states in behavior with a combination of
neuroethological, pharmacological, electrophysiological, histochemical
and immunocytochemical methods and apply these to intact animals,
reduced preparations and cultured cells of various invertebrate species.
Our research interests include questions on the evolution of
pharmacological signals, central nervous and humoral systems and
sensory organs by comparison of various invertebrate and vertebrate
species.
Invertebrates offer unique advantages over more complex nervous systems of vertebrates and especially mammals, such as a smaller number of neurons in the central nervous system, individually identifiable neurons and rather limited repertoires of behaviors, many of which are composed of genetically determined and stereotype movements. For studying a particular nervous mechanism one can select the most suitable and experimentally accessible preparation from a huge variety of different species with specific anatomical characteristics and more or less complex behaviors.
designed by A. Wirmer