Home page of Leathem Mehaffey, III

Leathem Mehaffey, III

Vassar College Biology Department 124 Raymond Avenue, Box 410 Poughkeepsie, NY 12604 Teaching interests
Research interests
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Biology Department, Vassar College

Work Phone #: (914) 437-7313
Fax Phone #: (914) 437-7315

I teach a variety of courses at all levels in the curriculum:

Introductory:
- The Role of the Cell (Biology 152)
Intermediate:
- Animal Physiology (Biology 228)
- Animal Structure (Biology 226)
Advanced:
- Neurobiology
- Sensory Biology
If you'd like to see more of these courses, you can go to my academic home page.

My current research is into the mechanism used in the photoreceptors of the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis. These animals have a number of "eyes" located on segments throughout the body, with six pairs on the prostomium, or dorsal lip. Each of these prostomial eyes consists of a pigment cup with about a hundred or so rhabdomeric photoreceptive cells inside. Each cell is about 50 microns in diameter, most of which is made up of a "vacuole". This "vacuole", unlike true vacuoles, is connected to the extracellular space, albeit by specialized channels whose function is unknown. Unlike those of other invertebrates, the microfilaments containing the photopigment are found on the membrane between the cytoplasm and the vacuole. Here is presumably where phototransduction takes place. Generation of action potentials, however, takes place on the membrane between the cytoplasm and the extracellular fluid. Why such a peculiar arrangement? Can I take advantage of this separation of phototransduction and action potential generation? Presently I am using microelectrodes to penetrate the cells and record the potentials produced in response to light flashes. I hope to use some neuropharmacology to learn more about the connection between phototransduction and potential changes. I also hope to be able to use cell-attached patch clamping in this investigation.
If you'd like to learn more, visit my research web site.

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