First full brain map of a complex animal

Scientists have mapped all 3,016 neurons and 548,000 connecting synapses in a young fruit fly’s (Drosophila melanogaster) brain. It’s the first complete brain map of a complex animal that can learn, and weigh the risks and benefits of its actions. The only other animals whose brains have been completely mapped are two worm species and the larva of a sea squirt. The neural circuit diagram will help researchers to study how the brain works and neurological diseases.