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New map of a male fly central nervous system includes all 166,000 neurons - and enables direct comparisons to female fly brain
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- Researchers have created a comprehensive map of the male fruit fly brain and its spinal cord equivalent, detailing over 166,000 neurons, complementing a previously published female brain map with about 140,000 neurons.
- These connectomes allow scientists to compare male and female fruit fly brains to investigate sex-specific behavioral differences, particularly in mating and aggression.
- The study, published in Cell and Current Biology, includes additional research exploring taste processing, visual circuits, and sex-specific neural networks in fruit flies.
- Findings reveal that while many sensory and motor circuits are shared between sexes, certain neural pathways are sex-specific and influence distinct behaviors such as courtship and aggression.
- This work provides a foundation for future connectomics projects in more complex animals and may ultimately aid understanding neurological and psychiatric disorders in humans.
