Science Visualized Neuroscience

Scientists have mapped an insect brain in greater detail than ever before

Charting a larval fruit fly’s nerve cells and their connections took 12 years

A diagram showing every nerve cell in a larval fruit fly brain, in all the colors of the rainbow, on a white backdrop

This diagram shows every nerve cell (multicolor) in a larval fruit fly brain, with the spheres representing the cell body and the elongated tails as branches that send and receive information. The connections, known as synapses, aren’t visible here.

Michael Winding

By McKenzie Prillaman

The wiring of one insect’s brain no longer contains much uncharted territory.