Brazilian TV 1994

We prepared this movie clip at the request of a Brazilian television station that aired this segment in 1994.

0:00-2:19
Introduction - the voice you hear is Dr. Michael J. Friedlander who is currently Director of the Civitan International Research Center.

2:20-3:22
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope images through cells; individual focal planes and composite image. (Sarastro software)

3:23-4:12
Confocal series of an individual neuron; stepping through focal planes followed by composite.

4:13-5:00
Solid rendering of the neuron above.

5:01-5:45
Reconstruction of a single inhibitory neuron, on an Evans and Sutherland PS 330 vector graphics display. (Gemmill software)

5:46-6:36
Confocal image of coupled neurons-that third dimension *does* add extra information.

Pre-
Locations of pre-synaptic terminals in three-dimensional space. (Gemmill software)

7:16-8:30
One pre-synaptic terminal reconstructed at the electron microscope level of magnification (about 60,000X). Fifty to seventy individual micrographs were digitally described, automatically aligned, and rendered as a solid. Red is the pre-synaptic site; blue represents the target site; yellow is the synapse; the interior purple are mitochondria. (Gemmill software).

October 1995

This movie was intended for use while a live speaker was talking, thus no sound.

0:00-0.33
Locations of pre-synaptic terminals; same as 6:37-7:15 to the left.

0:34-1:05
Electron Microscope reconstruction, same as 7:16-8:30 to the left.

1:09-2:30
A physiology experiment; view of oscilloscope screen presenting direction specific visual stimulus.

2:31-3:04
Electrical activity of a neuron responding to the stimulus above; the neuron will not fire when the stimulus moves in directions other than the one it prefers.

3:06-3:38
The string of spheres represents cell bodies found in a particular brain layer. The axons (outputs) of other cells cross the inputs of these cells. The white dot cloud represents the gaussian dispersion of nitroc oxide. Scientists found that cells responded to activity in other cells faster than electricity could travel through axons. Nitric oxide gas, centered at the site of electrical activity, was found to disperse fast enough to be the agent for rapid communication among dispersed cells. This image appeared as an illustration in Scientific American in 1995. (Gemmill software