2024-08-28 15:22:38
The fruit fly is one of the most studied living creatures. Its advantage: it is a simple and cheap one that can be used for almost any scientific experiment (it is not for nothing that it has several Nobel Prizes under its belt). However, the fact that we have done such an examination shows that, in reality, it is not as simple as it seems. Among their behaviors, the sexes are, without a doubt, the most surprising: recently it was discovered that women ‘drug’ men so that they fall asleep and do not associate with others. Now, the study published in ‘Nature Neuroscience‘ reveals that, moreover, they are so blinded by love that they cease to notice any hint of danger.
The work, led by researchers from the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), sought to test whether a coveted reward (in this case, related to having sex with a woman) causes the male fruit to jump to ignore it. threats that can end your life. life, like a predator.
“Every day we make decisions that require us to balance between benefits and risks, but we know little about what happens in our brains when we make these decisions,” said Carolina Rezaval, one of the said the author of the study. “By analyzing the neuronal pathways activated in the brains of fruit flies we can learn more about these processes. “As the fly continues its flight and gets closer to mating, we can clearly see that when a threat takes its body, it simply will not be seen.”
A glimpse into the brain of the fly
The researchers used a two-photon microscope (an imaging technique that allows imaging of live tissue to a depth of one millimeter) to observe which neurons in the fly brain are activated during intercourse. The team presented an artificial threat using light and shadow to simulate the effect of a fighter flying nearby.
“During the early stages of anxiety, we discovered that the presence of a threat activates certain visual neurons in the brain that interfere with the neurons controlled by serotonin. This causes the flies to abandon their courtship and flee the danger,” explains Laurie Cazale-Debat, principal investigator of Rezaval’s team at the University of Birmingham. “However, as the process progresses, the increase in dopamine inhibits key sensory pathways, reducing the fly’s ability to respond to threats and causing it to focus on mating.”
At this point, the animal must decide what is more important: whether to threaten you or to mate. Dopamine is key in the decision-making process; However, levels rise because they are closer to the goal. As Lisa Scheunemann, leader of the group at Freie Universität Berlin and collaborator on the study, explains: “This kind of motivation can always be found in human beings. Let’s imagine that we are climbing a mountain, and we are getting close. “If the weather changes and the conditions are dangerous, we can avoid that risk because we are closer to our goal.”
Thus, the researchers showed that, in the case of the fruit fly, as the courtship progresses, dopamine increases, acting as an emotional neurotransmitter that inhibits stimuli and helps the animal is free to concentrate on the task at hand. “We are excited to discover whether this is a general decision-making process that also exists in mammals, including humans,” said Rezaval.
#lust #aware #threats