BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Mind the Gene
05 October 2014

Mind the Gene

Identifying the root causes of diseases can be very challenging when symptoms are linked to many factors. Some of the factors are real, and trigger illness, while others only occur at the same time as the illness but have little impact. Telling those factors apart often entails a painstaking process of elimination akin to detective work. Following a two-year investigation, biologists proved at last that the root cause of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression lies with a mutation in a gene known as DISC1. They showed that the mutation hindered the formation of synapses (red and green) that allow electrical signals to transit between the tiny gaps linking neurons [brain cells] (shown in blue). Differentiating causation and correlation in mental illnesses poses a particular challenge because genetic and environmental factors both play a role, while many genes are responsible for regulating wiring in the brain.

Written by Tristan Farrow

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.