The brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons woven together approximately 100 trillion connections, or synapses. Each cell plays a certain role, helping the muscles moving, feel the medium, form memories and much more. Because of the number of neurons and connections, scientists are difficult to determine how the system gives rise to thinking or behavior.
Now Colombian scientists have developed the Neuropal method. It uses genetic methods of "coloring" neurons with fluorescent colors. And also for the first time allows scientists to identify every neuron in an animal nervous system. And also registers the entire nervous system in action.
For research, scientists have created two programs. One identifies all neurons in colorful worm images. The second design optimal color for potential identification methods of any type of cells or tissues in any body that allows genetic manipulations. Scientists noted that the method can be used not only for cell registration, but also to identify the presence or absence of these specific genes in the cell.
The team conducted a series of successful experiments with the worms of the Caenorhabditis Elegans (C. elegans). It is often used in biological research. Scientists managed to identify every individual neuron in the worm's brain. Details of work they have been published in Cell magazine.
"Surprisingly watching the nervous system in its entirety and see what she does," said Oliver Hobert, one of the authors of the study. He added that the created images were stunned by the team: Bright colored spots appear in the body of the worm "as Christmas lights in a dark night."
The researchers said that their breakthrough could soon overshadow those discoveries that the method made possible. Before publishing in Cell magazine, Oliver Hobert and Eviatar Yemini released Neuropal for the scientific community. Their colleagues have already presented several studies showing the usefulness of this tool.
"The ability to identify neurons or other cell types using color can help scientists visually understand the role of each part of the biological system, said Yemini. "So if something goes wrong with the system, it can help determine where the failure occurred."
Source: Naked Science