Crocheted Neuron

For the Flat-Rate-Box swap, I was paired with biology teacher @MightyMitochondria. I used to teach some neuro/EEG topics to sleep techs, so I figured I’d go with a neuro theme for the box. The main thing I was sure I wanted to make was a model of a neuron, done in crochet.

Here is an in-progress shot.
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It shows the purple telephone wire that I used to make the dendrites hold their shape.

This was such a fun project! I hope it’s useful; not sure how much neuroanatomy is actually taught at the high school level.

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That’s fantastic. Like a Giant Microbe only better.

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:flushed: :exploding_head:

I am outta words for this. Just WOW

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How cool!
I’ll have to show this to my daughter. We were just talking about neurons today, because we went to see a neurologist (she’s fine).

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Ah! I love this! My scientific background is in neuro, but I rarely get to use it these days (and it’s prob all outdated anyway). The brain is fascinating! Love your crochet homage! Awesome background prop, too…I’m assuming those are some of your old print outs. :wink:

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Yes, my own sleeping brainwaves as recorded by my husband, who was a sleep tech at the time. (I sent MightyMitochondria some of those printouts, too. As well as films from a brain scan I had.)

What did you do in the neuro world?

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How cool they are from your own brain! And some brain scan films?! Love it.

I have a Master’s degree in behavioral neuroscience. My thesis was on how well HIV transgenic rats navigated a modified Morris Water Maze (we were studying HIV-associated dementia). Good times. After that I did pre-clinical drug discovery research for Schering-Plough’s neuroscience division. I did it for about 3 years before I needed a change from animal lab work. I should have studied the brain through fMRIs!

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I’m glad your daughter is doing well! I’ve had slightly weird brainwaves my whole life (my husband says it makes sense to him!), so I’ve had quite a few different neuro tests over the years.

Dare I say that your neuron looks downright cuddly? Yes. I dare! And at the same time I can imagine the neurons involved in my migraines looking not unlike this… even in size! :face_with_spiral_eyes: :rofl:

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Wow, it’s cool that a lot of us have some sort of neuro background. And your research does sound interesting to me!

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I was going to say that this is a happy little neuron… but the mitochondria actually looks like a snaggletoothed mouth, so maybe not… I’m sure migraine neurons are not happy!

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HAHA! I was thinking more the texture of crochet and the size of the dendrites (jazz hands) for the migraine. Otherwise it just looks toothy; it can’t help it that it’s mouth looks that way when it smiles!

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It reminds me of deep-sea creatures or some anemones. I had to have some scans done a year ago, everything was fine except for the white matter streaks. Not enough to be MS, but they think it’s from my migraines. Didn’t realize I was searing my brain from them… no wonder they hurt so bad.

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Wow! Headaches that scar your brain sound pretty awful.

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I adore everything about my gorgeous neuron and it will definitely be used as a teaching tool. I use Google Slide “worksheets” where students have to drag and drop words and label the appropriate structures. I’m going to swap out my boring old neuron diagram and replace it with a picture of this beauty so every single student can use @endymion’s creation to learn neuron anatomy. School is closed tomorrow and Monday, so I have to wait until Tuesday to show my kids. I know they will love it as much as I do!

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I am flabbergasted! Great work. Awesome detail. Nice tight stitches and so colorful. And all without a pattern? Amazing.

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I was ga-ga for this in the thread, and thrilled you gave it a thread! Such a cool project!

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This is awesome!

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So clever and thoughtful! (See what I did there?) probably one of the coolest projects ever.

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Yes, I see what you did there!

Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments.

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