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Accelerated time-lapse footage of a zebrafish embryo developing its sensory nervous system

24 October 2018

Sensing Victory

This video shows a zebrafish embryo as it develops an elaborate network of neurons, the sensory nervous system, which will allow it to make sense of the world around it. Sights, smells and tastes are detected by receptors then encoded into electronic signals that are transmitted along the wire-like axons of sensory neurons. Captured here, developing axons are sprouting upwards, away from the circular cell body of each neuron. The axons form an elaborate, spider-web like network. Sixteen hours of time-lapse footage were sped-up to form this short clip. It was captured with an unconventional microscope technique that allowed the embryo to grow in water, its natural environment. This was more challenging than standard techniques that typically hold specimens in place during filming. Such high-quality footage helps researchers to investigate how healthy neurons develop and what might go wrong in neurodegenerative diseases.

Written by Deborah Oakley

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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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