WormBase Tree Display for WBProcess: WBbiopr:00000010
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| WBbiopr:00000010 | Public_name | Defecation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | In C. elegans the expulsion of intestinal contents occurs every 45-50 seconds. This cycle is characterized by a pattern of muscle contractions under both muscle and neuronal control. The steps of the defecation cycle are a posterior body contraction (pBoc), an anterior body contraction (aBoc), and the final expulsion step (Exp) where the enteric muscles contract, opening the anus and allowing the intestinal contents to be released. Each step is independently controlled as mutations exist that affect one step but do not alter the timing or occurrence of the other. Further, Ca++ oscillations in the intestine, rather than neuronal stimulation, have been shown to control the initiating pBoc step. The contractions of the enteric muscles are controlled by GABA motor neurons AVL and DVB through an excitatory GABA-gated cation channel. The periodicity of the cycle is influenced by the presence of food, is temperature compensated, and can be reset by mechanosensory input. | ||
| Related_topic | Specialisation_of | WBbiopr:00000043 | |
| WBbiopr:00000040 | |||
| Involved_entity | Gene (24) | ||
| Interaction (12) | |||
| Anatomy_term (11) | |||
| Associated_with | Phenotype (27) | ||
| GO_term | GO:0030421 | ||
| GO:0035882 | |||
| Reference | WBPaper00001256 | ||
| WBPaper00001759 | |||
| WBPaper00001937 | |||
| WBPaper00002272 | |||
| WBPaper00006173 | |||
| WBPaper00024671 | |||
| WBPaper00026831 | |||
| WBPaper00031264 |
