If you cut off a limb from an octopus, it will still respond to stimuli

Octopuses have found "a distributed consciousness': they are part of the body capable of taking decisions avtonomno



It turns out that octopus is much smarter than expected - their limbs respond to pain and touch, even after separation from the body, with no post-mortem is cramping, and full reflexes.



One of the researchers Katherine Harmon in an interview with «Scientific American» told about this experiment:

"First of octopuses put to sleep, and then amputated at each of the ten one tentacle. We tested the reaction of amputated limbs acid, tap water and mechanical impact. It was found that the tentacles of these marine animals are capable of almost fully respond to stimuli without a brain ».

When, for example, the tentacle touched the acid solution, the muscle contracts, and the "hand" immediately otdёrgivalas to avoid the threat. According to one version, it is because that octopus neurons are able to recognize their own physical danger, with a person of such a feature is not, what is the secret octopus?



One of the researchers behavior of octopuses, a Harvard philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith proposed to use to describe the nervous system and intelligence octopus term "distributed consciousness." «The Harvard Gazette» published his findings:

"The nervous system is very developed octopus, and more than half of the 500 million tons of neurons located in the extremities - says Godfrey-Smith. - Sometimes these marine animals observed even a kind of "split personality" when the octopus is looking for food in a strange crevice seabed, some tentacles can pull it to one side to avoid the potential danger, and the rest are trying hard to detect signs of food ».

Researchers do not intend to continue to experiment with the amputation of limbs - there are other evidence of the octopus extraordinary mind, moreover, the European Union has recently issued a directive on the inadmissibility of the research that may harm the sea creatures.

via factroom.ru