Chain of Command - Nervous System Development and Brain Control - Lecture 5

Explore the intricate development of the nervous system and brain control mechanisms in this 55-minute lecture from The Royal Institution's 1986 Christmas Lectures series. Discover how nerve cells connect during development to determine brain behavior, with Professor Lewis Wolpert demonstrating how nerve processes actively seek out connections with other nerves and muscles. Learn about the remarkable ability of nerves from the eye to grow out and create ordered brain maps, projecting images from the eye onto the brain, and observe how damaged nerves can regenerate to reconnect with their original locations. Examine fascinating experiments with chick embryos showing how spinal cord nerves navigate to find correct muscles using biological "highways and signposts," and understand why many developing nerves die as part of a selection process for proper connections. Investigate the role of hormones in determining brain gender characteristics, with female brain behavior as the default unless influenced by male hormones. Delve into fundamental questions about genetic influence on brain development and whether developmental programs can be predicted by examining eggs, exploring the possibility that development may be inherently unpredictable and can only be understood by observing the process itself.