Summary: Scientists have achieved a monumental feat in neuroscience by reconstructing a cubic millimeter of the human brain in 3D, offering an unprecedented glimpse into its intricate structure. This nanoscale project, which consumed over 1.4 petabytes of electron microscopy data, reveals a staggering 57,000 cells, 150 million synapses, and 230 millimeters of blood vessels—all within a space no larger than a grain of sand.
The Harvard-led team’s decade-long effort has resulted in the most detailed brain model to date, down to the synaptic level. This “connectome” could revolutionize our understanding of brain function and disorders, potentially accelerating advancements in treating conditions like dementia and mental illness.
The sample, obtained from an epilepsy patient, was meticulously imaged and reconstructed, uncovering new cellular patterns and connections. Such detailed mapping is a significant step towards the larger goal of replicating an entire mouse brain, and eventually, segments of the human brain.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 5/11/2024 (1) Amazingly Detailed Images Reveal a Single Cubic Millimeter of Human …. https://www.sciencealert.com/amazingly-detailed-images-reveal-a-single-cubic-millimeter-of-human-brain-in-3d. (2) Cubic millimetre of brain mapped in spectacular detail – Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01387-9. (3) 3D map of human brain is the most detailed ever | New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23731-3d-map-of-human-brain-is-the-most-detailed-ever/. (4) 3D Animation of Full Human Brain Anatomy and Function. https://www.3dbiology.com/3d-animation-human-brain-anatomy/. (5) 3D map of human brain is the most detailed ever. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/3d-map-human-brain-most-detailed-ever.
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A map of the entire human brain could help us understand where diseases come from, to how we store memories. But mapping the brain with today’s technology would take billions of dollars and hundreds of years. Learn what GR has already revealed about the brain, and how it’s making it easier for scientists to—someday—reach this goal. See video below.
