Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

In-flight Sight
26 January 2013

In-flight Sight

This section through the brain of a fruit fly, Drosophila, shows neurons [nerve cells] firing into action in preparation for flight. Yet something odd is going on – the neurons lit up at the centre of the brain (stained in green with their nuclei stained red) are actually sending messages to the optic lobes (ball-shaped areas on the left and right) where vision is controlled. These special neurons (known as octopamine neurons) boost the fly’s sight prior to take-off, aiding its panoramic view of the terrain whilst soaring high above the ground. Each neuron is 5,000 times thinner than an electrical wire and transmits these signals in a fraction of a second. Speedy ‘re-wiring’ of neurons occurs inside mammalian brains, too – the visual senses of the mouse brain are heightened during movement, a handy trick when you’re on the hunt for a meal, or trying to avoid becoming one.

Written by John Ankers

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.