Why are brains wrinkly

A smattering of mammalian brains. Photo: Toro et al, Evolutionary Biology. Manatee, rat and squirrel brains look more like a liver, smooth and slightly triangular, than what we think of as a brain. Dolphin brains, on the other hand, are notably crinkled, with what appears to be about twice the folds of a human brain. So what causes these differences? Is function or form to blame? Ronan, L.

From genes to folds: a review of cortical gyrification theory. Brain Structure and Function , 5 , pp. Manger, P. Quantitative analysis of neocortical gyrencephaly in African elephants Loxodonta africana and six species of cetaceans: comparison with other mammals. Journal of Comparative Neurology , 11 , pp. Tags: anatomy , biology , brain , development , gyri , sulci.

Probably corals also need to have a large surface to volume ratio, but in their case to maximize their filtering area? Interesting, I never thought about that. Yes, that could be a reason! Maybe they started off as smooth corals and with time developed their wrinkles. Name required. And new research shows those wrinkles are not a sign of age but are, in fact, a sign of just how large and complex our brains are. The wrinkles, according to U. Santa Barbara UCSB postdoctoral scholar Eyal Karzbrun, are vital to our development because they create a greater surface area giving our neurons, or brain nerve cells, more space to create connections and deliver information.

How this assembly takes place and what physics come into play is fundamental to our understanding of the brain. Karzbrun used stem cells to create 3D clusters of brain cells, to better understand how they organize themselves. He said brains are like computers in the way they rely on surface area to process information. The cerebral cortex, which occupies most of the volume in your brain, has a unique architecture in which neurons are layered on the outer surface of the brain, and the bulk of the brain is composed of axons, [or] biological wire which interconnect the neurons.

Karzbrun says gaining a deeper understanding of how the brain is formed, and why it takes the shape it does, may help us develop new approaches to treating problems in the brain. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account.