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A Peek Inside the Brain: Can You Guess What the Image Is?

3 minute read

The brain is home to many biological processes that keep us alive and help make us who we are. Zooming in to the details of the underlying biology of the brain not only reveals fascinating research stories — it also creates stunning works of art!

Check out these brain-related images from the annual Mass General Research Institute Image Awards that celebrate the beauty of research at Mass General Brigham and the incredible discoveries happening every day within the walls of our system.

Can you guess the stories behind them?

Take this quick quiz to find out.

Question 1

While this image looks like the underground roots of your favorite houseplant, what does it actually show?

A. A Tangle of Neurons

B. The Spinal Cord

C. A Brain Network

D. Blood Vessels

D. Blood Vessels

Scientists peeked into a mouse’s brain, which was modified to study Alzheimer’s disease, through a small window. They observed a map of blood vessels in pink, transporting essential energy and oxygen, and proteins typically seen in Alzheimer’s disease in blue.

(Image submitted by Maria V. Sanchez-Mico, PhD)

Question 2

Like the internet, ecosystems, and social networks, the brain is highly interconnected. This image shows the brain’s connections in which situation?

A. Fetal Brain Development

B. Psychedelic Drugs

C. Social Interactions

D. Cognitive Decline

A. Fetal Brain Development

By combining magnetic resonance images (MRI) from hundreds of babies inside the womb, scientists generated this three-dimensional image of connections during fetal development, showing the complexity of the brain before birth!

(Image submitted by Maria Camila Cortes-Albornoz, MD)

Question 3

This image may look like a galaxy in deep space, but it actually shows:

A. The Membrane of a Mitochondria

B. A Healthy Brain Cell

C. An Activated Amygdala

D. A Diseased Blood Vessel

D. A Diseased Blood Vessel

The proteins amyloid-beta (Red) and tau (Green) accumulate in and around a blood vessel and the surrounding tissue in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), which leads to bleeding in the brain. Scientists study how these proteins interact to gain insight into CAA development and its relationship with Alzheimer’s disease.

(Image submitted by Kali vom Eigen, BS)

Question 4

While this looks like tree roots penetrating the forest soil, it actually depicts neurons in which region of the brain? (hint: it’s related to memory)

A. The Brainstem

B. The Hippocampus

C. The Prefrontal Cortex

D. The Hypothalamus

B. The Hippocampus

The hippocampus plays a major role in producing and storing memories. This image shows neuron cell bodies in the hippocampus, with appendages called dendrites bundled together, allowing neurons to communicate.

(Image submitted by Smriti Chadha, BS)