Left/ Right Structural Asymmetry in Zebrafish Neurons (IMAGE)
Caption
This is an image of the left and right sided habenular nuclei of larval zebrafish showing left/right structural asymmetries in the processes of neurons (pink) and their connections (blue).
Fish that have symmetric brains show defects in processing information about sights and smells, according to the results of a new study into how asymmetry in the brain affects processing of sensory information.
It's widely believed that the left and right sides of the brain have slightly different roles in cognition and in regulating behavior. However, scientists don't know whether these asymmetries actually matter for the efficient functioning of the brain.
Now, a team from UCL and KU Leuven, Belgium has shown that, in zebrafish at least, loss of brain asymmetry can have significant consequences on sensory processing, raising the possibility that defects in the development of brain functions on either the left or right on the brain could cause cognitive dysfunction. The study is published today in Current Biology.
Credit
Ana Faro/Tom Hawkins/Steve Wilson/UCL
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