The strange appearance of our brain, with its many folds, intrigues researchers. One team tried to explain it by modeling its growth in the cranial box.
The brain is a very mysterious organ. If its operation is now better and better understood, scientists have long wondered about its unsightly appearance. With these many folds, it evokes many images to us. It looks a bit like a nut, or a minced meatball.
A study published in the journal Nature Physics offers explanations. Thanks to a brain modeled from MRI images, the researchers show in particular that its appearance is not conditioned by biological or genetic factors, but rather the result of a process of physical compression.
Cramped growth
It is from the 20e week of pregnancy as the fetal brain grows until adulthood. The initial hypothesis, relayed by scientists for several years, was therefore that the brain takes volume in a space that is too narrow: our cranial box. Suddenly, it compresses.
An idea that the researchers tested. They applied a layer of gel to their brain model, and dipped it in a solvent. This had the effect of causing it to swell, replicating the growth of the organ in the cranial cavity. They then saw folds appear, under the effect of mechanical compressions.
According to the researchers, better understanding the structure of the brain and the formation of folds may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of certain neurological pathologies, linked to malformations of the brain. Their work improves the brain models used in other studies.
However, more research is needed to truly understand the medical implications of the folded structure of the brain.
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