Iyini i-connectomics?
I-Connectomics iwukukhiqiza nokutadisha ama-connectome: amamephu aphelele okuxhumana ngaphakathi kohlelo lwezinzwa lwesidalwa. Ngokuvamile, kungabhekwa njengokucwaninga nge-wiring diagram ye-neuronal ngokugxila ekutheni ukuxhumana kwesakhiwo, ama-synapses ngamanye, i-morphology yeseli, kanye ne-ultrastructure yeseli kunomthelela kanjani ekwakhiweni kwenethiwekhi. Isimiso sezinzwa siyinethiwekhi eyakhiwe izigidigidi zokuxhumana futhi lezi zixhumanisi zibhekele imicabango yethu, imizwelo, izenzo, izinkumbulo, ukusebenza nokungasebenzi kahle. Ngakho-ke, ukutadisha i-connectomics kuhlose ukuthuthukisa ukuqonda kwethu impilo yengqondo nokuqonda ngokuqonda ukuthi amangqamuzana asesimisweni sezinzwa axhunyiwe futhi axhumana kanjani. Ngenxa yokuthi lezi zakhiwo ziyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu, izindlela ezisetshenziswa kulo mkhakha zisebenzisa izindlela zokuhlolwa kwe-neural functional and structural imaging, ezivame kakhulu ukuhlolwa kwe-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), i-electron microscopy, kanye namasu e-histological ukuze kwandiswe isivinini, ukusebenza kahle, kanye nokuxazululwa kwalamamephu wesistimu yezinzwa. Kuze kube manje, kuye kwaqoqwa inqwaba yemininingwane emikhulu ehlanganisa isimiso sezinzwa kuhlanganise nezindawo ezihlukahlukene ze-cortex, i-cerebellum, i-retina, isimiso sezinzwa esiyindilinga kanye nezixhumanisi ze-neuromuscular.  Ngokuvamile, kunezinhlobo ezimbili zama-connectome; i-macro-scale ne-micro-scale. I-Macroscale connectomics ibhekisela ekusebenziseni idatha ye-MRI esebenzayo neyokwakheka ukwenza imephu yezindawo ezinkulu ze-fiber nezindawo ezisebenzayo zezinto ezimpunga ngaphakathi kobuchopho ngokuya ngokuhamba kwegazi (ukusebenza) nokusabalalisa kwamanzi (okwakhiwayo). I-connectomics esikalini esincane iwukuhlela i-connectome ephelele yezinto eziphilayo ezincane kusetshenziswa i-microscopy ne-histology. Okungukuthi, zonke izixhumanisi ezikhona esimisweni sazo esiyinhloko sezinzwa.