Chapter 1
Spark of life and first nerves
Chapter 2
The rise of the central cord
Chapter 3
The triune brain and land invasion
Chapter 4
The modern human mind
YOUR GOAL
Master of Evolution of the brain
Ch 1 · Spark of life and first nerves
annette_gonzales_too Sea Sponge Synapse Genes
No brain, got synapses! No brain, got synapses! We hold the blueprint deep inside.
moonay The First Vertebrate Brain
Three-part brain, / First nerve chain, / Deep sea reign.
moonay Jellyfish and sea anemones developed the first decentralized nervous networks to coordinate movement.
moonay Sea sponges lack a nervous system but possess the genetic blueprints for building one.
BETA
moonay Play an educational game tracing the evolution of the human brain and first nerves, starting from Earth's very first organism.
Fun Fact
Sponge brain genes: Sea sponges have no brains but possess almost all the genes required to build human synapses.
Glossary
nerve net (noun)
A diffuse network of interconnected neurons that lacks a centralized brain and conducts impulses throughout an organism. This primitive nervous system first emerged in ancient cnidarians, such as jellyfish, over 600 million years ago.
A diffuse network of interconnected neurons that lacks a centralized brain and conducts impulses throughout an organism. This primitive nervous system first emerged in ancient cnidarians, such as jellyfish, over 600 million years ago.
Quiz
Which cellular structures, found in both bacteria and human neurons, control the flow of charged atoms?
Quiz
What is the scientific study of how life and brains might evolve on other planets called?
Quiz
Which chemical pathways did ancient single-celled microbes use to send signals 3.7 billion years ago?
Quiz
What do scientists call the evolutionary tree used to trace the genetic history of brains?