55

Philosophy of Photography
Volume 1 Number 1
2010 Intellect Ltd Encyclopaedia. English language. doi: 10.1386/pop.1.1.55/7
POP 1 (1) pp. 5557 Intellect Limited 2010
ENCYCLOPAEDIA
LOUISE KAY
MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London
Imaging firing synapses
Most people are familiar with computer-generated images of neurons forming circuits within the
brain, often animated to spark with electricity as they pass information between each other via syn-
apses. Few may realize that what is illustrated here is a real image of that same thing. In it, part of a
living neuron can be seen in green with its synapses in red and the electrical signal generated at the
synapse in white. As a picture of a living neuron it may be aesthetic or seem impressive, but these
appearances are coincidental to its scientific-use value.
When imaging neurons for the purpose of scientific research there are three main obstacles.
Obviously the first is scale: a synapse formed on a neuron is around one thousandth of a millimetre
across. This is why digital microscopes, which magnify up to 100 times, using lasers as a light source
to image one pixel at a time, are needed to get the resolution required. Secondly in order to study
tiny compartments or single molecules within the neuron, a range of fluorescent dyes have been
POP 1.1_2_ency_Key_055-058. indd.indd 55 3/13/10 7:03:56 PM
Louise Kay
56
Louise Kay, Cell 12b, 2009.
POP 1.1_2_ency_Key_055-058indd.indd 56 3/8/10 8:28:51 PM
Imaging ring synapses
57
developed, each requiring a different technique for application. Lastly, most research into how synapses
function requires that the electrical activity be measured by placing an electrode in a single neuron
and passively listening to the activity of the neuron. Recent advances now mean that a laser can be
used to manually activate one synapse at a time.
One of the aims of my research is to combine all these techniques to gain more understanding of
how a single synapse works. The image above depicts a single neuron injected with a green fluores-
cent dye. It was taken one pixel at a time and digitally reconstructed: applying a red dye that is
absorbed by active synapses shows the synapses formed on this neuron. Overlain in white are traces
of the electrical current that flows when each of the indicated synapses is activated using a laser.
In order for an image constructed in this manner to acquire scientific meaning, it has to be decon-
structed into numbers. The image is a spatial organization of information that allows a range of types
of measurements to be made. For instance, it enables me to measure distances between synapses, to
chart their location and relate this to their function. Each layer of colour gives a quantitative measure
of how each synapse is working. We know that the morphology of the neuron at the site of the syn-
apse regulates the natural passage of information from neuron to neuron. Some synapses are better
than others at passing information to the next neuron and these take up more of the red dye, so, in
the image, the intensity of red indicates the strength of the input message. At each synapse the abil-
ity of the next neuron to receive information differs: synapses that are better at this will show a larger
deflection in the current in white. Every aspect of this image represents how the neuron functions
and can be transformed into numbers for quantification. It is these numbers that I work with.
This image, like many generated by scientific research, is a by-product. Its meaning emerges out
of the process of its conversion into numbers, which is what sheds light on how a synapse functions.
In many cases the original images are never displayed or used, despite the laborious process of their
production. One might, however, keep and display them, if only to show that it is possible to take
images of a live and functioning neuron and also, perhaps, to explain how and why biology con-
structs and deals with images.
POP 1.1_2_ency_Key_055-058indd.indd 57 3/8/10 8:28:52 PM
e:o:m /:s \sua /:s m Suoes Cuu:a 8 'eoa Suoes inteIIect books 8 [ou:as
To vew ou: caaoue o: o:oe: ou: books ao [ou:as vs www.inteIIectbccks.ccm eec, The ', a:a Roao, shoos, B:so, BS1o _}C Te -;; ,o} 11/ __8__1o
1he PIace cf Artists' Cinema
Sace, Se ao Sc:ee
By 'aeve Cooy
SBN _/818;1_oz;o_
ae:back 1___ ;o
Ove: he as ou: oecaoes, coemo:a:y a:
:acce has bee ma:keo by a :eeweo emhass
o boh he mov mae ao he ocs o
ace Cooy oees a :ecu::e coce:
wh se ao sace a:ss' m ao voeo,
exeo :om he avaa:oe :evvas o he
1_oos o he :ese oay :ovoes a aayss
o cha exhbo s:ucu:es ao oeh
:eaos o may :ece wo:ks Chae:s :ae
:om musc:ee ae:y saao ao se
baseo a: o mov mae wo:ks :oouceo o:
exhbo wh cemac coexs, esu:
he ||ace o ^tt|:t: c|nema w aea o cu:ao:s,
:acoe:s ao suoes o vsua a: ao meoa
a:s
POP 1.1_2_ency_Key_055-058indd.indd 58 3/8/10 8:28:52 PM