A group of researchers fromHarvard Universityin collaboration with Google Researchmade the more detailed map ever created of the structure of the human brain. This extraordinary result was obtained by analyzing A single cube millimeter of brain fabric taken from a patient with epilepsy during surgery.
To make this map, the team used the electronic microscopy In order to obtain very high resolution images. The fabric was divided into beyond 5,000 very thin sectionseach of which was then digitized, generating a huge amount of data: about 1,400 Terabyte. Artificial intelligence and automatic learning were used to reconstruct a three -dimensional model of the cells and connections present in the sample.
The analysis revealed the presence of Over 57,000 cellsincluding neurons and gliali cells, with the latter in a clear majority. In addition, approximately have been identified 150 million Sinapsithe connections through which neurons communicate with each other.
Hyperconnex neurons: a surprising brain architecture
A particularly surprising aspect of the study was the discovery of neurons which establish an unusually high number of connections with specific cells, reaching up to 50 synapses with a single target neuron. This phenomenon, more frequent than expected, suggests the existence of highly specialized connection mechanisms still to be understood.
Another interesting discovery concerns the organization of pyramid cellsa type of neuron present in the cerebral cortex. These cells seem to be arranged in two specular orientations, a structural detail whose functional meaning is not yet known.
The data obtained were made public through the software “Neuroglancer“, Allowing researchers from all over the world to explore this intricate network of brain connections. This map represents a step forward in the connectivity, the discipline that studies neural connections in the brain, and could provide new intuitions on the functioning of the nervous system and on neurological pathologies.
The next goal of the team is to create a Complete map of the brain of a mousea company that will require a amount of data up to 1,000 times higher. Even if the mapping of the entire human brain remains a still far milestone, these research open new perspectives for understanding the mind and its complex dynamics.
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