Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter more...
Organization of the Brain01:30

Organization of the Brain

The brain is an integral component of the nervous system and serves as the center for processing sensory inputs, making decisions, and directing bodily actions. This complex organ is organized into three primary sections: the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, each responsible for a range of vital functions.
Hindbrain
The hindbrain, located at the base of the brain, plays a vital role in regulating automatic processes that sustain life. It includes the medulla oblongata, which is essential for...
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions01:20

Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It consists of four main parts: the cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, and brainstem.
The cerebrum is the largest section of the brain and divides into left and right hemispheres, separated by a deep fissure. The cerebral outer layer of grey matter — the cerebral cortex — comprises elevations called gyri and shallow groves called sulci. The inner portion of white matter includes long nerve fibers known as axons, which connect various areas...
Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children from...
Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview I01:26

Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview I

The main and largest component of the human brain is the cerebrum. The cerebrum consists of two main parts: the cerebral cortex, an outer layer with wrinkles or folds known as gyri and shallow grooves called sulci, and a deeper region beneath it. The cerebrum divides into two distinct hemispheres and contains five different lobes: the frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and insula. The central sulcus separates the frontal and parietal lobes and two functionally important gyri — the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Male bumblebees sustain mate-seeking by adjusting foraging to environmental conditions.

Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·2026
Same author

Synaptic high-frequency jumping synchronises vision to high-speed behaviour.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Aversive memory and extinction learning for noxious stimuli and aversive tastants in bumblebees.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same author

The audience shapes the information content of the honey bee waggle dance.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Bees, blindsight, and consciousness.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2025
Same author

The exploration of consciousness in insects.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2025
Same journal

Increased rates of hybridization in swordtails are associated with water pollution.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Visual uncertainty and task demands shape active sensing strategies in mice.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

An adaptable, self-organizing, single-cell morphology circuit optimizes suctorian predatory trap structure.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Temporal tuning of switch-like virulence expression resolves environmental uncertainty through phenotypic heterogeneity.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

An abstract relational map emerges in the human medial prefrontal cortex with consolidation.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Phloem evolved gradually and asynchronously to xylem in early vascular plants.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains
07:14

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains

Published on: January 16, 2026

Are bigger brains better?

Lars Chittka1, Jeremy Niven

  • 1Queen Mary University of London, Research Centre for Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Mile End Road, London E14NS, UK. l.chittka@qmul.ac.uk

Current Biology : CB
|November 20, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Brain size may not directly correlate with cognitive abilities. Insects show complex behaviors with small brains, suggesting neural circuit complexity is key, not just neuron count.

More Related Videos

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
08:29

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans

Published on: December 18, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains
07:14

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains

Published on: January 16, 2026

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
08:29

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans

Published on: December 18, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Comparative Cognition
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Relating brain size to behavior and cognition often overlooks insect data.
  • Insects exhibit complex behaviors and cognition despite small brain sizes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between brain size, neuron count, and cognitive capacity.
  • To explore the functional significance of larger brains in vertebrates.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of brain size and neuronal structures across species.
  • Neural network modeling to assess cognitive feature requirements.
  • Biophysical constraint analysis for neuron size.

Main Results:

  • Complex cognitive functions like numerosity and attention may require fewer neurons than previously thought.
  • Larger brains in vertebrates are partly due to larger neurons and increased circuit replication, enhancing sensory processing and storage.
  • The advantages of larger brains may not lead to qualitative behavioral shifts as commonly assumed.

Conclusions:

  • Neural circuit complexity, rather than absolute brain size, is crucial for cognitive abilities.
  • Modularity and interconnectivity of neural circuits may be more critical for advanced cognition than brain volume.
  • The evolutionary drivers and functional benefits of large brains require further investigation beyond simple behavioral complexity.