Diverse 'Connectomes' Hint At Genes' Limits In Nervous System
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 21:21
in Biology & Nature
Genetics may play a surprisingly small role in determining the precise wiring of the mammalian nervous system, according to painstaking mapping of every neuron projecting to a small muscle mice use to move their ears. These first-ever mammalian "connectomes," or complete neural circuit diagrams, reveal that neural wiring can vary widely even in paired tissues on the left and right sides of the same animal.