5 hours ago
Snails use two brain cells to
make "complex decisions", a team of scientists has found.
Researchers at the University of
Sussex said one cell told the snail if it was hungry while the other cell told
it if food was present.
The experiments used electrodes
to measure brain activity of the molluscs when searching for lettuce.
Lead researcher Prof George Kemenes
said the discovery would help engineers design "robot brains".
He said these would be based on
the principle of using the fewest possible components necessary to perform
complex tasks.
"Our study reveals for the
first time how just two neurons can create a mechanism in an animal's brain
which drives and optimises complex decision-making tasks," he said.
"It also shows how this
system helps to manage how much energy they use once they have made a decision.
"Our findings can help
scientists to identify other core neuronal systems which underlie similar
decision-making processes."
The study was published in
the journal Nature Communications.
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