A Peek at the Nightlife of Synapses Reveals They Weaken, and Why (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

A Peek at the Nightlife of Synapses Reveals They Weaken, and Why

Caption

This picture shows 3-D reconstructions of electron microscope images of tree branch-like dendrites. At the end of the branches are cup-like structures called the spines, and in the tips of the spines are synapses. By studying thousands of images like these, the researchers showed that the synapses shrink after the mouse sleeps and grow again during the next wakeful period. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Feb. 3, 2017, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper, by L. de Vivo at University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, and colleagues was titled, 'Ultrastructural evidence for synaptic scaling across the wake/sleep cycle.'

Credit

Wisconsin Center for Sleep and Consciousness

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