The squid was originally used because they were easy to obtain and their axons, the portion of the nerve cell that sends a message from one neuron to another, are very large in diameter. Individual squid axons are large enough to see with the naked eye. read more
Loligo pealei, a squid, subject of studies of nerve function because of its giant axon (nearly 1 mm diameter, roughly a thousand times larger than typical mammalian axons) Macrostomum lignano, a free-living, marine flatworm, a model organism for the study of stem cells, regeneration, ageing, gene function, and the evolution of sex. read more
The stellate ganglion of the giant squid (figure 2) is very close neurologically to the mammalian systems, and scientists can easily separate the cell body and the axon compartments, and can do so in amounts that are conducive to study. In Grant et al., researchers use this portion of the squid’s anatomy to create a model to use for the study of neurodegeneration and dementia in mammals. read more