Lightning in the Brain
No, it wasn’t Dr. Frankenstein – famous in fiction for bringing his monster to life with lightning – who created this video. In fact, the video you see here has little to do with electricity at the point at which it was made. It is a time-lapse view of a growing neuron, with the actin protein fluorescently labeled in blue.
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DownloadLightning in the Brain
No, it wasn’t Dr. Frankenstein – famous in fiction for bringing his monster to life with lightning – who created this video. In fact, the video you see here has little to do with electricity at the point at which it was made. It is a time-lapse view of a growing neuron, with the actin protein fluorescently labeled in blue.
What am I looking at?
This is a time-lapse image of a neuron from the hippocampus of a rat as it sends out projections into the space around it. The blue color is fluorescently labeled actin. The lighter the blue, the more concentrated the actin protein is.
Biology in the background
Neurons are the main cells of the nervous system. They perform a wide array of complex functions in the body. To achieve this, neurons need to be able to make connections with other neurons. During development and adulthood, some neurons will send out axons in search of other neurons to communicate with.
The key protein involved in the movement of these axons is called actin. This protein is a vital part of the cytoskeleton, giving cells their shape and structure and allowing them to move. Actin forms filaments and, with the help of other proteins, can push a cell’s borders into the surrounding space, resulting in movement in that specific area of the cell.
A hippocampal neuron in a rat has a cell body that is about 18 micrometers across, or roughly four times smaller than the width of a human hair.
Technique
This video was created using fluorescence microscopy.
Andy Moore, HHMI's Janelia Research Campus