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14/n

P.S. It's actually more than two neurons.
What looks like a single neuron is actually a tight bundle of neurons snuggled up together, so closely, they move as one.

13/n

So, what you're watching is a glimpse into how brains wire themselves.

Brains build themselves with exquisite precision, one tiny handshake at a time.

Who knew microscopic growth cones could make us feel things?

12/n

And yep, it’s sped up.

I actually recorded this nearly 15 years ago in the lab.

Vintage neuro-content!

11/n

Fun fact:
I was about to toss out this dish of neurons.
Then I glanced in the microscope, saw something interesting starting to unfold, and hit “record." I had to pre-set the recording time (20 mins), so thats why it ended so abruptly.

10/n

Synapses are tiny connections between neurons, like miniature kissing points between neurons.

They are way smaller than a growth cone.

Check out this cool video of dendritic spines (one side of the synaptic "kiss") by Dr Daniel Bligh

9/n

People often ask:
“Is this what happens when we learn something?”

Sadly, no.

Growth cones build the original wiring.

But learning happens via a totally different mechanism: synapses.

8/n

I know, I left you on a cliffhanger.

The video cuts off right before they fully come together.

But that shadowy, wavering line at the bottom right?

That’s a buch of neurons that have already connected in a petri dish

7/n

This footage is development in action.

Growth cones also make a comeback after injuries, like spinal cord damage, but they’re… not great at it.

Often, they fail to reconnect.

Which is part of why recovery from spinal or brain injuries can be so hard.

6/n

And it’s not random.
The wiring is incredibly precise.

Imagine 86 billion wires, each with a purpose. A motor neuron won’t accidentally plug into a sensory receptor in your taste buds

5/n

When we are developing in utero, you’ll find these “growth cones,” at the tip of every single growing neuron, actively searching their way between cells, trying to find The One™ to connect with. Once they do, the growth cone is resorbed and disappears

4/n

They use these webbed hand-like structures you see in the video called growth cones.
And the spidery fingers? Those are called filopodia, constantly reaching, touching, testing their surroundings

3/n

This represents how our nervous system develops, and what it tries to do to after a physical injury.

But how do neurons know who to connect with in a brain of 86 billion other neurons, and navigate through a body to connect the body to the brain in exactly the right way?

2/n