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Staying in Sequence
13 December 2017

Staying in Sequence

Typing this sentence involves my nervous system coordinating a complex sequence of events. How does this happen? Researchers look to fruit flies for answers, focusing on another sequential behaviour – grooming after getting covered with dust. Flies always start with their head, then abdomen, wings and back. A different neural pathway coordinates grooming each area. Using optogenetics, the team selectively turned these pathways (green) on by shining a light on the flies, and imaged them using fluorescence microscopy. With all the pathways on simultaneously, the flies still began with head grooming. More digging suggested all pathways are readied for action but the one that controls the most important action suppresses them. Once that action is complete, another round of competition takes place with the pathway controlling the next most important action winning. Figuring this out in flies may help reveal how even more complex sequential behaviours play out in humans.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

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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.

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