What Factors Influence Nerve Regeneration?

Alexis C. Houser
Dr. Daniela Ostrowski, Faculty Mentor

Following an injury, some nerves have the ability to regenerate their function, but most of them do not. The question is, what factors affect nerve regeneration and growth rate? Crickets have the ability to regenerate auditory nerves and this regeneration can serve as a model to understand the process of nerve regeneration. Once damage has occurred, resulting in a loss of input from one ear, axons from the other ear and dendrites from interneurons rearrange. The axons and dendrites form new network connections resulting in the cricket regaining its ability for directional hearing. My research project first involves a comparative study of the auditory nerve regeneration between different cricket species over a time period of twenty days. In addition, the regeneration pattern differs between male and female crickets, therefore, I am focusing on the possible hormonal influence of ecdysteroids.

 

Keywords: nerve regeneration, cricket, auditory , axons, dendrites, ecdysteroids, neurons

Topic(s):Biology

Presentation Type: Poster

Session: 6-
Location: GEO - SUB
Time: 

Add to Custom Schedule