Neuroscience: Definition, Facts, and Organization

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on the development, organization, function, and disorders of the nervous system.

The nervous system (NS) consists of two major parts – the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord, while the nerves of the PNS extend to all body parts.

Neurons are the functional units of the NS as they receive, process, and transmit information (electrical or chemical signals) from the sensory system to other neurons or different parts of the body (e.g., muscles or organs). They are supported and protected by other neural cells, such as glia cells.

The NS regulates motor function, sensory perception, internal organ functions, and higher functions (such as consciousness, cognition, sleep-wake-rhythm, speech, learning, memory, and emotions).

Neuroscience encompasses many different scientific fields, such as biology, medicine, and psychology.

Molecular and cellular neurobiology focuses on the morphological and physiological properties of neural cells (e.g., nervous system development or signal transduction mechanisms). Systemic neuroscience covers the organization of neurons into functional circuits, while clinical neuroscience, on the other hand, studies the mechanisms behind neurological and psychiatric disorders and their treatment.

Investigating the NS on a molecular and cellular level is fundamental for understanding the development of neurological diseases and their treatment. ibidi provides different solutions for cell culture and microscopy to investigate neural cells' morphology, function, and behavior under physiological conditions in vitro.

Noback CR, Strominger NL, Demarest RJ, Ruggiero DA. The Human Nervous System – Structure and Function. Springer; 2005.

Rat dorsal root ganglionic cells and Schwann cells, cultured in an ibidi μ-Slide 8 Well, and stained for neurofilament (green), NGFR (magenta), and DAPI (white). The image was obtained with a LEICA SP8X laser scanning microscope.
Courtesy: Tamara Weiss, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

How ibidi Contributes to Neuroscience Research

ibidi develops solutions and products that facilitate a variety of cell culture assays covering the different aspects of neurobiology research.

There are more than 9.000 neuro-related publications using ibidi products.

These products include labware with various geometries and coatings, providing the ideal surface for cultivating and imaging even complex to culture neuronal cells. Additionally, the ibidi Stage Top Incubators and the ibidi Pump System are versatile tools that allow for the cultivation of cells under physiological conditions, thus enabling long-term live-cell imaging of neuronal cells.