Nikon Small World

Hendricks’ image was captured as part of his graduate thesis research looking at how accurate connections are made in the brain. It shows some of the anatomy of a 3 day old embryonic zebrafish brain. The blue portion of the image shows axonal connections between neurons and reveals the overall brain architecture. The red portion is a specific signaling molecule within a subset of neurons. His goal in creating this image was to show the brain structures at the finest level of detail possible.

Hendricks is studying how the signaling molecule contributes to the ability of axons to locate their correct targets in the brain during development. His work utilized a laser scanning confocal microscope, which collects multiple images that are combined to reveal the entire structure. Through techniques like this he is able to track the movements and growth of cells and tissues over time in order to understand developmental phenomena.

Complete information on all Nikon Instruments products and services.

Learn about optical microscopy, digital imaging, and photomicrography.

Nikon’s free online digital photo storage and sharing service.

From the nanoworld to the universe — the worlds we measure using our infinite yardstick.

Enjoy learning about Nikon’s long history through a series of interactive episodes.