Suggested Terms and Definitions for a Neuroanatomical Glossary
Richter et al. Frontiers in Zoology 2010, 7:29 http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/7/1/29 DEBATE Open Access Invertebrate neurophylogeny: suggested terms and definitions for a neuroanatomical glossary Stefan Richter1*, Rudi Loesel2, Günter Purschke3, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa4, Gerhard Scholtz5, Thomas Stach6, Lars Vogt7, Andreas Wanninger8, Georg Brenneis1,5, Carmen Döring3, Simone Faller2, Martin Fritsch1, Peter Grobe7, Carsten M Heuer2, Sabrina Kaul6, Ole S Møller1, Carsten HG Müller9, Verena Rieger9, Birgen H Rothe4, Martin EJ Stegner1, Steffen Harzsch9 Abstract Background: Invertebrate nervous systems are highly disparate between different taxa. This is reflected in the terminology used to describe them, which is very rich and often confusing. Even very general terms such as ‘brain’, ‘nerve’, and ‘eye’ have been used in various ways in the different animal groups, but no consensus on the exact meaning exists. This impedes our understanding of the architecture of the invertebrate nervous system in general and of evolutionary transformations of nervous system characters between different taxa. Results: We provide a glossary of invertebrate neuroanatomical terms with a precise and consistent terminology, taxon-independent and free of homology assumptions. This terminology is intended to form a basis for new morphological descriptions. A total of 47 terms are defined. Each entry consists of a definition, discouraged terms, and a background/comment section. Conclusions: The use of our revised neuroanatomical terminology in any new descriptions of the anatomy of invertebrate nervous systems will improve the comparability of this organ system and its substructures between the various taxa, and finally even lead to better and more robust homology hypotheses.
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