The Taste of Snails

Has a dish ever caused you to feel so sick that you feel ill every time you see it served? The pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis (pictured above) can relate. While the pond snails were snacking on a sugary substance, scientists exposed the animals to an aversive chemical. The snails soon learned to associate the sugary treat with the unpleasant feeling caused by the paired chemical and stopped eating it. The researchers found that the action of very small proteins related to insulin may stimulate the changes in the brain that take place when such long-term memories are created.