We normally associate wrinkles with aging, such as wrinkled skin. But there’s one organ that is wrinkled right from the time we are born.
It’s complex
Those wrinkles are part of the brain. New research shows they signal how large and complex our brains are. According to UCSB postdoctoral scholar Eyal Karzbrun, the folds increase surface area, giving neurons more space to form connections and transmit information.
In an article in UCSB’s Daily Nexus, Karzbrun says we still have much to learn: “The brain is a complex organ whose organization is essential to its function. Yet it assembles itself. Understanding how this assembly occurs—and what physics guide it—is fundamental to understanding the brain.”
Looking in 3D
Karzbrun used stem cells to create 3D clusters of brain cells to study how they organize. He said brains function like computers by maximizing surface area to process information. “To be fast and powerful, the brain packs a large surface area into a small volume. The cerebral cortex layers neurons on the surface, and the rest is axons—biological wiring connecting those neurons.”
Karzbrun says understanding how the brain forms and why it takes its shape may lead to new ways to treat brain disorders.
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