Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025
09:45
Preparation of Parasagittal Slices for the Investigation of Dorsal-ventral Organization of the Rodent Medial Entorhinal Cortex
Published on: March 28, 2012
15.8K
Locally ordered representation of 3D space in the entorhinal cortex
Gily Ginosar1, Johnatan Aljadeff1,2, Yoram Burak3,4
1Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Nature
|August 12, 2021
Summary
Scientists discovered 3D grid cells in bats, showing only local spatial order, unlike 2D grid cells. A unifying model explains both 2D and 3D grid cell organization in the medial entorhinal cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Spatial Cognition
Background:
- Medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) grid cells form hexagonal lattices in 2D space.
- Representation of 3D space by MEC neurons remains largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate MEC neural representations of 3D space in freely flying bats.
- Characterize the spatial organization of 3D grid cells.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings from MEC cells in bats during flight.
- Analysis of neuronal firing fields in 3D environments.
- Computational modeling of grid cell interactions.
Main Results:
- Identified 3D border cells, 3D head-direction cells, and multifield neurons.
- Discovered 3D grid cells with local order but lacking global lattice structure.
- A unifying model explained 2D hexagonal lattices and 3D local order.
Conclusions:
- MEC uses distinct neural codes for 2D and 3D spatial navigation.
- 3D grid cells provide a locally ordered metric for 3D space.
- A single model can describe grid cell function across dimensions.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Olfaction
46.3K
The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
46.3K
01:33Somatosensation
40.9K
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
40.9K
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
7.1K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
7.1K
01:24Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
1.3K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
1.3K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
5.2K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
5.2K
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
1.2K
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
1.2K