Glial cells in the earthworm ventral nerve cord make an A-type nexus

Abstract

Nexuses have been demonstrated between glial cell processes in the earthworm ventral nerve cord. The nexuses have been demonstrated by freeze-cleavage to be A-type neuxuses, thus demonstrating for the first time the type of nexus present in the Annelida. If the nexal cleavage pattern has physiological significance then the results suggest that physiologically the nexuses of the earthworm may be similar to those of vertebrates.