The brain is full of mysteries, which is ironic considering that we use our brain to solve mysteries. Nonetheless, that squishy bit of neurons, dendrites and axons between our ears is one of the world’s greatest mysteries. It’s confounded science for years and only in the past couple centuries have we begun to really understand it, on a cellular level at least. According to the Society for Neuroscience, the brain has the “capacity to store more information than a supercomputer and to create a network of connections that far surpasses any social network.” But it’s also home to more than 1,000 different disorders that “result in more hospitalizations and lost productivity than any other disease group, including heart disease and cancer.”

Understanding neuroscience is difficult. Luckily, there’s an army of medical illustrators and animators out there who put there creative strengths to the test by creating detailed and informative illustrations. These images can help, scientists, doctors and even laymen understand the intricate workings of the brain.

Below you can see some extraordinary neuroscience illustrations and animations from some of the best artists in the business.

Adam Questell

This image was created as a cover illustration for Contemporary OB/GYN magazine. The topic examined Hyperemesis Gravidarum during pregnancy (extreme nausea and vomiting). The highlighted area of the brain is the region responsible for triggering the vomiting response along with emphasis on the vagal nerve in the foreground as the means by which the signal reaches the brain. CLIENT – Advanstar Medical Communications Group

Tyler Woods

Elara Systems

The Brain Stem is effected by Opioid addiction

Mesa Studios LLC

somersault18:24

Anatomize Studios Inc.

To see even more incredible images like the ones above, head on over to the specialty search section of the Medical Illustrations and Animations website.