Ever wonder what goes on inside the brain of a worm — how they process information, respond to stimuli and perceive the world around them?
Northeastern University researchers have opened up that can of worms, specifically the one containing C. elegans, an incredibly tiny roundworm that’s one of the most extensively studied animals in biology.
A team of biophysicists has zoomed in on the brains of these one-millimeter-long creatures, specifically observing the two sexes. Hermaphrodite worms have exactly 302 neurons, distributed throughout the entirety of the worm’s nervous system. Roughly 200 of those neurons are located in the worm’s head, with the rest scattered along its body and tail, including throughout its reproductive organs. Males, on the other hand, have roughly 387.
Unlike many animals, female C. elegans are actually hermaphrodites, meaning they produce both eggs and sperm and can reproduce by fertilizing their own eggs.
The researchers were interested in observing the brain activity of male and hermaphrodite worms side by side as they interacted with a controlled environment, where researchers could deploy various stimuli, like odors from food and other chemical cues that indicate danger in their surroundings.
Read more at Northeastern Global News
Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
