In a World First, Researchers Mapped Part of a Mouse's Brain in Incredible Detail. It's a Leap Forward for Neuroscience

In a World First, Researchers Mapped Part of a Mouse's Brain in Incredible Detail. It's a Leap Forward for Neuroscience

The 3D brain map includes more than 200,000 cells, 523 million synapses and over two miles of axons, representing the most detailed wiring diagram of a piece of mammal brain ever constructed

New frontier in neural mapping described as a watershed moment for neuroscience

It’s being hailed as the most detailed diagram of a mammal's brain ever made, and a watershed moment for neuroscience. Researchers have created a 3D functional map of part of a mouse's brain. The analysis could unlock new ways of understanding and treating some of the most complex human conditions.

The human brain is so complex that it's difficult for scientists to understand it. A piece of neural tissue the size of a grain of sand may be filled with hundreds of thousands of cells interconnected by kilometers of wire. In 1979, Nobel Prize winner Francis Crick concluded that anatomy and activity in just one cubic millimeter of brain matter would always exceed our comprehension. Read more (04/11/2025)