Extremely small neurons have been identified in certain neural structures.
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Peer-reviewed scientific literature documents the existence of extremely small neurons, including nearly anucleate brain neurons in miniature parasitic wasps.
AbstractAnucleate animal cells are a peculiar evolutionary phenomenon and a useful model for studying cellular mechanisms. Anucleate neurons were recently found in one genus of miniature parasitic wasps of the family Trichogrammatidae, but it remained unclear how widespread this phenomenon is among other insects or even among different tissues of the same insect species. We studied the anatomy of miniature representatives of another parasitic wasp family (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) using array tomography and found two more species with nearly anucleate brains at the adult stage. Thus, the lysis of the cell bodies and nuclei of neurons appears to be a more widespread means of saving space during extreme miniaturization, which independently evolved at least twice during miniaturization in different groups of insects. These results are important for understanding the evolution of the brain during miniaturization and open new areas of studying the functioning of anucleate neurons.
As the study of the human brain is complicated by its sheer scale, complexity, and impracticality of invasive experiments, neuroscience research has long relied on model organisms. The brains of macaque, mouse, zebrafish, fruit fly, nematode, and others have yielded many secrets that advanced our understanding of the human brain. Here, we propose that adding miniature insects to this collection would reduce the costs and accelerate brain research. The smallest insects occupy a special place among miniature animals: despite their body sizes, comparable to unicellular organisms, they retain complex brains that include thousands of neurons. Their brains possess the advantages of those in insects, such as neuronal identifiability and the connectome stereotypy, yet are smaller and hence easier to map and understand. Finally, the brains of miniature insects offer insights into the evolution of brain design.
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