Detecting cells helps bats navigate in space

A team of Israeli neuroscientists has discovered that bats have specialized cells in their bodies that can easily navigate and move in 3D.

When testing the bat brain while it is flying, the team has for the first time seen how the bat's brain works when traveling in space. One of the study members affirmed that this is the first study related to neurological impact on orientation.

Researchers believe there are three types of brain cells, each with a certain sensitivity to one dimension in space. To demonstrate, in the experiment, the team used a small tape recorder weighing only a few grams, attached to the bat brain to record the movement of cells without affecting the activity. its dynamics.

The data is then recorded by devices that have been synchronized with the data collected from a high-speed camera. All together to create an overall picture of the special "3D compass" of bats.

Going deeper into the mechanism, the researchers found that special nerve cells vibrated when the bat faced a certain direction on a plane.

This phenomenon has been observed in rats, but bats are completely different when it has to travel in three dimensions. For example, when bats fly in a twisted pattern, up or down, there will be certain groups of separate brain cells that stop working or vibrate to help the bat navigate properly and promptly.

According to Dave Rowland, a neurologist at the Neutral Computation Center (Norway), the study will open a new direction in studying how other species such as dolphins or humans themselves can determine. direction in 3-dimensional space.

"This is a great example of how we can take advantage of the natural behavior of many animals, to discover the fundamental mysteries of neuroscience," Dave added.

Reportedly, this breakthrough study has just been published in the journal Nature on December 3.

Reference: Slashgear, Popular Mechanics.