A single neuron sits in a petri dish, crackling in lonely contentment.
From time to time, it spontaneously unleashes a wave of electric current
that travels down its length. If you deliver pulses of electricity to
one end of the cell, the neuron may respond with extra spikes of
voltage. Bathe the neuron in various neurotransmitters, and you can
alter the strength and timing of its electrical waves. On its own, in
its dish, the neuron can’t do much. But join together 302 neurons, and
they become a nervous system that can keep the worm Caenorhabditis
elegans alive—sensing the animal’s surroundings, making decisions and
issuing commands to the worm’s body. Join together 100 billion
neurons—with 100 trillion connections—and you have yourself a human
brain, capable of much, much more. To read the full, original article click on this link: 100 Trillion Connections: New Efforts Probe and Map the Brain's Detailed Architecture: Scientific American
Author:
