A bold scheme to map the entire human brain has become the mission of many scientists from a host of different fields. Paul Smaglik tracks the interdisciplinary career implications.
IMAGE SOURCE/CORBIS
A major goal for neuroscientists is to build a complete wiring diagram of the human brain. Such a feat has already been achieved for the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. But going from worm to human requires a serious leap: C. elgans has 302 neurons connected together through 7,000 synapses; the human brain has an estimated 10 billion neurons, each of which has an average of 10,000 synaptic connections.
Undaunted, many neuroscientists are pursuing at least part of the problem, and...read on
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten