Exploring the Pyramids

M. Hausser

These brilliant blobs are some of the brain’s main messengers. Known as pyramidal cells for their distinctive shape, they take in messages and pass them along to their neighbors via an electric pulse. To do this, they must be extremely well connected.

Pyramidal cells make up the majority of the cerebral cortex, where their sprawling branches weave together all five of its layers. This area is the crinkled outer layer of the brain that handles memory, consciousness, language, sight, and much of what makes you, you. Pyramidal cells also show up in primates and other animals, but only in humans do they feature so many receptors for messages.

About the Author

Charlie Wood

Charlie Wood is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in physics from Brown University and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In previous lives he taught physics in Mozambique and English in Japan, but these days he freelances from his home in New York.