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Updated: May 9, 2026

Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions
Published on: February 15, 2021
From the connectome to brain function
Cornelia I Bargmann1, Eve Marder
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA. cori@rockefeller.edu
Abstract:
In this Historical Perspective, we ask what information is needed beyond connectivity diagrams to understand the function of nervous systems. Informed by invertebrate circuits whose connectivities are known, we highlight the importance of neuronal dynamics and neuromodulation, and the existence of parallel circuits. The vertebrate retina has these features in common with invertebrate circuits, suggesting that they are general across animals. Comparisons across these systems suggest approaches to study the functional organization of large circuits based on existing knowledge of small circuits.
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