Publisher's Synopsis
This publication deals with the comparative physiology of control of the heart and cardiovascular system by the CNS. A unique emphasis is placed on the relation of cardiovascular control to the physiological demands of the whole organism. The book illustrates the alternative pathways that have been taken to close cardiovascular control as one ascends the phylogenetic tree. The first section is devoted to functional coupling of the circulatory system in whole organisms. Phylogenetic examples range from the pearly Nautilis to the rabbit. The second section covers neural coupling of the CNS and the heart. It reports the latest progress in neural regulation by postsynaptic and intracellular processes. The third section focuses on the roles of peptides and neurohumours in functional coupling of the CNS to the heart and vascular system in molluscs and crustaceans.;Facilitating a functional comparison of the many types of circulatory systems found within the invertebrate phyla, this book is aimed at comparative physiologists, zoologists, medical physiologists and pharmacologists.
