Peripheral Nerve and Regeneration in Crustacea

Abstract

1. The peripheral nerve appears to have an important trophic influence on the regeneration of thoracic limbs in the crustacean Asellus aquaticus, and section of the nerve proximal to the level of amputation causes a significant retardation of regeneration. 2. The retardation is statistically demonstrable in spite of the number of variables affecting the rate of regeneration. 3. Regeneration is probably completely inhibited until the blastema becomes reinnervated by the regenerating nerve. 4. Comparable damage to the limb base, not affecting the nerve, may also cause some retardation of regeneration, although, in these experiments, this was not clearly significant.