Wiring diagram lays out connections between nearly 140,000 neurons and reveals new types of nerve cell
Tyler Sloan and Amy Sterling for FlyWire, Princeton University, . Researchers are hoping to do that now that they have a new map — the most complete for any organism so far — of the brain of a single fruit fly . The wiring diagram, or ‘connectome’, includes nearly 140,000 neurons and captures more than 54.5 million synapses, which are the connections between nerve cells.
But these tools aren’t perfect, and the wiring diagram needed to be checked for errors. The scientists spent a great deal of time manually proofreading the data — so much time that they invited volunteers to help. In all, the consortium members and the volunteers made more than 3 million manual edits, according to co-author Gregory Jefferis, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge, UK.
The team was surprised by some of the ways in which the various cells connect to one another, too. For instance, neurons that were thought to be involved in just one sensory wiring circuit, such as a visual pathway, tended to receive cues from multiple senses, including hearing and touchThe FlyWire map data have been available for the past few years for researchers to explore.
One limitation of the new connectome is that it was created from a single female fruit fly. Although fruit-fly brains are similar to each other, they are not identical. Until now, the most complete connectome for a fruit-fly brain waspapers out today, Jefferis, Davi Bock, a neurobiologist at the University of Vermont in Burlington, and their colleagues compared the FlyWire brain with the hemibrain.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
1.5 billion cosmic objects dazzle in the largest infrared Milky Way map ever createdAndrew Paul is Popular Science's staff writer covering tech news. Previously, he was a regular contributor to The A.V. Club and Input, and has had recent work featured by Rolling Stone, Fangoria, GQ, Slate, NBC, as well as McSweeney's Internet Tendency. He lives outside Indianapolis.
Read more »
139,000 neurons unveiled in 1st-ever complete brain map of adult fruit flyFruit flies share many genetic similarities with humans, making them a valuable model organism for studying brain functions as well as diseases.
Read more »
Map Reveals US Regions With Largest Income RisesThe Midwest has seen the highest increase in median household income.
Read more »
Scientists show how pregnancy changes the brain in innumerable waysA new study offers the first detailed map of the human brain throughout and after pregnancy.
Read more »
Scientists show how pregnancy changes the brain in innumerable waysA new study offers the first detailed map of the human brain throughout and after pregnancy.
Read more »
Scientists show how pregnancy changes the brain in innumerable waysA new study offers the first detailed map of the human brain throughout and after pregnancy.
Read more »