Final answer:
Short-term sensitization in Aplysia involves the formation of new synaptic connections and behavioral changes in response to serotonin, demonstrating a model for learning and memory that retains trained behaviors even after receptors are destroyed.
Step-by-step explanation:
Short-Term Sensitization in Aplysia
Short-term sensitization in Aplysia, a sea slug, is an important model for understanding the cellular basis of learning and memory. David Glanzman's research highlighted that when the sea slug's sensory and motor neurons grown in tissue culture are exposed to serotonin, there is an increase in the number of synaptic connections. This model demonstrates that even after treating these cultured cells with an agent that destroys synaptic receptors, the trained stimulus-response behavior is retained. It indicates the potential for non-synaptic mechanisms in memory retention.
Notably, the training to stimulate the withdrawal of the siphon tube in Aplysia can be induced in vitro through the addition of serotonin. This form of plasticity shows that short-term changes in synaptic strength or perhaps even the number of synapses can be rapid and persistent enough to support a simple form of learning.