FEELING GOOD ABOUT BRAIN BACTERIA

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/CLAUS LUNAU

Two types of nerve cells are the homes of bacteria

BACTERIA THRIVE IN INSULATION

1 Neurons send nerve signals through the brain via long axons. They are surrounded by a fatty, insulating myelin sheath that is full of bacteria.

CELL FEET INCLUDE MICROBES

2 Astrocytes are a type of nerve cell that moves nutrients from blood vessels to other nerve cells. The bacteria accumulate in their feet, located close to other cells.

Action centres where bacteria gather

Scientists have discovered a wealth of bacteria in four brain areas that each play a role in motor functions, awareness, or mental disorders.

For three decades, biologist Rosalinda Roberts has cut ultrathin slices from the brains of the recently deceased, studying them closely under an electron microscope. Originally