In this movie light-sheet microscopy has been used to visualize the mouse peripheral nervous system in 3D with Prof Patrik Ernfors explaining how this system develops, functions and is organized.

The peripheral nervous system is formed by neurons and consists of millions of nerves running through the body and making us able to see, hear, feel and function. The nerves grow in predefined pathways and those responsible for feeling heat, cold, itch and pressure are e.g. known to grow from cell bodies close to the spinal cord in the embryo and ending up in the skin and other organs. The peripheral nervous system is in place rather early during embryonic development, which is not the case of the central nervous system and the brain. The mouse brain contains about 70 million cells and most of them are present at birth, and therefore around 40 brain cells per second must be formed during embryonic development. 3D visualization of the nervous system can help in understanding the organization of this complex system, how it connects different parts of the body and the effects of different diseases.

Link to movie

Link to short version movie