Nervous System Pinning
Nervous System Pinning - Related Videos
26:22
Homarus Americanus Stomatogastric Nervous System Dissection
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Cited by 3 •
2009
We describe the fine dissection of the stomatogastric nervous system from the stomach of the American lobster (Homarus americanus).
18:37
Cancer Borealis Stomatogastric Nervous System Dissection
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Cited by 103 •
2009
The stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) of the Jonah crab (C. borealis) can be used for electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and cell culture studies. The STNS extraction is done in two parts: the gross and fine dissection.
01:25
What is a Nervous System?
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2019
Overview The nervous system is the collection of specialized cells responsible for maintaining an organism’s internal environment and coordinating the interaction of an organism with the external world—from the control of essential functions such as heart rate and breathing to the movement needed to escape danger. Parts of the Nervous System The vertebrate nervous system is divided into two major parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS...
01:14
The Parasympathetic Nervous System
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2019
Overview The parasympathetic nervous system is one of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system. This parasympathetic system is responsible for regulating many unconscious functions, such as heart rate and digestion. It is composed of neurons located in both the brain and the peripheral nervous system that send their axons to target muscles, organs, and glands. The “Rest and Digest” System Activation of the parasympathetic system tends to have a relaxing effect on the body,...
01:25
The Sympathetic Nervous System
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2019
Overview The sympathetic nervous system—one of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system—is activated in times of stress. It prepares the body to meet the challenges of a demanding circumstance while inhibiting essential body functions—such as digestion—that are a lower priority at the moment. The “Fight or Flight” System As a student, you may have had the experience of walking into class and finding a surprise exam that you were not expecting. In the moment of realization, you...
FAQs
Fine pins stabilize the surrounding body wall or tissue against a coated dissection dish, limiting movement during examination and manipulation. This support helps researchers expose the central nervous system while reducing excessive motion and potential tissue damage. A stable preparation is especially important when investigators need consistent access for microscopy, staining, or electrophysiological recording.
Physiological saline helps maintain the preparation while the tissue is exposed and secured. Its presence supports continued examination and manipulation of the nervous system during dissection rather than allowing the preparation to become unsuitable for analysis. This condition is therefore important for studies that examine neural structure, neural function, or connections between neurons and muscles.
The coated dish provides a surface against which pins can secure the surrounding body wall or tissue. This arrangement establishes a controlled workspace for exposing the central nervous system and handling the preparation with less unwanted movement. The resulting stability supports detailed visualization and experimental procedures that require the tissue to remain accessible throughout analysis.
A pinned preparation can support microscopy for visualizing neural anatomy, staining for examining tissue features, and electrophysiological recording for studying neural function. It can also help investigators analyze connections between neurons and muscles. These complementary readouts allow researchers to relate visible nervous system structure to functional or anatomical observations within the same general preparation.
The procedure begins by placing the preparation in a coated dissection dish with physiological saline. Fine pins then secure the surrounding body wall or tissue, creating a stable field for exposure of the central nervous system. Once access is established, the preparation can be used for visualization, manipulation, staining, microscopy, or electrophysiological recording.
Biologists use this technique when they need controlled access to nervous tissue in a model organism while preserving preparation stability. It is relevant to neural anatomy studies, electrophysiology, staining, and analyses of neuron-muscle connections. More broadly, the approach contributes to investigations of nervous system development, behavior, and neurological disease by enabling structured examination of neural structure and function.