The absence of electrically demonstrable polarizing factors in Hydra

✍ Scribed by Martin Macklin

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1971
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 894 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9541
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.1040770110

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Various investigators have shown that in the marine hydroids, Tubularia, Obelia, Eudendrium, and Pennaria, regeneration and polarity is affected by an electrical field applied parallel to the regenerate. Using electrical currents up to the physiological limits for Hydra, no relation between electrical current and regeneration rate or polarity could be demonstrated. This is in spite of the fact that adult Hydra are normally electrically polarized with the distal end approximately–18 mV relative to the proximal end of the animal. When the electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric point of cells from distal, central and proximal thirds of Hydra were measured, a significant difference was found between cells of the two cell layers but not between cells of the three body thirds. These results are discussed in relation to Hydra growth factors described by various other authors.