Emergent Brain

---

This series is an artist's perspective about the brain and its small-scale neuron-cell axon-dendrite and synapse functions. This art series contains brain, neuron, axons-dendrites-synapses in longitudinal section (side or length-view), cross section (transverse or width view), oblique (cut on angle to X-Y-Z axis), top-down view, or frontal view.

Try to find artistic images of whole or -sectioned brains, neurons, axons coated with fatty myelin sheath insulation. Find dendrites and axons, individually and in bundles, stretching and branching out in different directions. Notice gaps between neuron cells and the synaptic medium through which signals are transmitted. Find glial support cells within the brain's cellular community fed by our circulation system, air we breathe, water we drink, nutrients we consume, waste we eliminate, and our exercise, rest, play, joy, peace, stress, etc. that comprise our internal and external environment.

Imagine being at the scale of neurons with their axons-dendrites and the synapses between! Imagine axons and dendrites stretching in bio-electro-chemical waves sending electro-chemical signals, encoding information in these interconnected branching bio-chem-electrical pathways. Imagine the axon and dendrite ends sending and receiving signals, making new connections, and retaining existing connections. Neuron functionality shapes and is shaped by our experience of life individually and collectively. What fun!

As a science instructor of Pre-K to undergrads I often used children's books, art, and poetry to inspire deeper appreciation and help learners connect viscerally to existence and science ideas at different scales. Even though this is art, I hope you enjoy and can use these images as learning tools (BY-NC-ND) or to spark discussion! 

This fun graphic art series about the brain and its parts and function emerged when I was playing with technology to make art. I noticed that many of the images felt like visual poetry or metaphors for brain cross-sections, oblique sections, longitudinal sections, or like 3-D neurons in their electro chemical community and environment. 

This art was a work of love for scientists and scholars who are avidly studying the brain at the phenomenological, biophysical, electro-chemical, cellular, tissue, regional, systemic, functional, affective, behavioral, cognitive, psychological, sociological, philosophical, and applied levels, Thank you.

Life is layered and the smallest scale influences the largest. We know much, but there is much to learn. This April 2025 brain series exposes the finest operations of the brain emerging from iterative application of mathematical functions. Each object generates its own set of forms when a mathematical function is applied selectively and repeatedly.

What do you think of these images? Reach out to me at jen@jenseron.com with comments and/or to join my mailing list. Also, contact me to commission your own series of Emergent images based on your own base, colors, and/or concepts. 

Johnson JH, Al Khalili Y. Histology, Myelin. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541009/||

Ludwig PE, Reddy V, Varacallo MA. Neuroanatomy, Neurons. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441977/

Maldonado KA, Alsayouri K. Physiology, Brain. [Updated 2023 Mar 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551718/#article-18527.s1

Mercadante AA, Tadi P. Neuroanatomy, Gray Matter. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553239/

Muzio MR, Fakoya AO, Cascella M. Histology, Axon. 2022 Nov 14. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 32119275. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554388/#article-89773.s1

Thau L, Reddy V, Singh P. Anatomy, Central Nervous System. 2022 Oct 10. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 31194336. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542179/#article-32323.s1

Young CB, Reddy V, Sonne J. Neuroanatomy, Basal Ganglia. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537141/