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The effect of octopamine on bumblebee responsiveness, learning, and memory
Date
2017Type
ThesisDepartment
Neurology
Degree Level
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Neuroscience
Abstract
Octopamine (OA), the insect ortholog of the human neurotransmitter/ neurohormone norepinephrine, has been shown to regulate motivation, learning and memory in invertebrates. The effect of octopamine on responsiveness has been widely studied in honeybees; however, the effect of octopamine on bumblebee responsiveness is not well established. The ability of a bee not only to sense diminishing levels of floral reward (e.g. sucrose, found in floral nectar), but also to remember the location of such a reward would be beneficial for the bee as well as for a plant which relies on bees to spread its pollen. I propose to test the ability of octopamine to reduce sucrose response thresholds as well as to enhance learning and memory in bumblebees. Exploring this neuronally-mediated process and future searches to detect the presence of octopamine in plant nectar will lead to a better understanding of various chemoattractants used by plants in nature to attract and manipulate the behavior of pollinators.
Permanent link
http://hdl.handle.net/11714/1921Additional Information
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