Anatomy of the brain

[Istel]

The bee has a remarkable range of abilities. The brain has just under a million neurones, more than most other insects. There is a lot of academic interest in bee brains (eg Free University, Berlin have mapped the bee brain extensively). Part of this interest is because it is conceivable that the entire brain could be mapped-out, which could then give us a greater understanding of how the pathways in brains work.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

The bee has a remarkable range of abilities. The brain has just under a million neurones, more than most other insects.

Can you tell us, Istel, whether this is more, or less, than the number owned by the average newbee like me?

[Perhaps this was information mysteriously edited out by Hivemaker!]


Dusty.

 

[susbees]

Nope, Dusty - this site does not allow advertising.

At the Spring Convention when my littlest was nine she asked three lecturers how many neurones were in the bee brain after it occurred to her in a lecture. The answers were interesting to say the least...one did say around a million

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

At the Spring Convention when my littlest was nine she asked three lecturers how many neurones were in the bee brain after it occurred to her in a lecture. The answers were interesting to say the least...one did say around a million

Very impressive!

Clearly gets hers from the distaff side!

Dusty

 

[Istel]

whether this is more, or less, than the number owned by the average newbee like me?

The average human has 85,000,000,000 so nearly 100, 000 times the number in a bee. What is interesting about the bee, is how much it can do with what it has, e.g. memory and learning. For example, in electronic terms, is a million nerve cells equivalent to a processor of 1 MB? This doesn't sound a lot to do all that a bee does. Each brain cell probably makes an average of 1000 connections to other cells - so is the processing and memory capability equivalent to 1 GB? Still does not sound a lot. Hence the question - how do brains work?

 

[Easy Beesy]

Have a word with Dr Robert Picard of Wales. He's your man for brains, bee or human.

 

[REDWOOD]

whether this is more, or less, than the number owned by the average newbee like me?

The average human has 85,000,000,000 so nearly 100, 000 times the number in a bee. What is interesting about the bee, is how much it can do with what it has, e.g. memory and learning. For example, in electronic terms, is a million nerve cells equivalent to a processor of 1 MB? This doesn't sound a lot to do all that a bee does. Each brain cell probably makes an average of 1000 connections to other cells - so is the processing and memory capability equivalent to 1 GB? Still does not sound a lot. Hence the question - how do brains work?

Very much like your computer works, your central nervous system sends electrochemical signals to a brain through Neurons
Anyone who can understand a woman's brain should win the Nobel Peace Prizes