Michael Hortsch, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School

These structures are sensory neurons and their extensions in the body wall of a fruit fly (Drosophila) embryo. Some of the genes that are important for the development and function of these structures in the fly are also crucial for the formation of similar structures in the human brain, making the fruit fly a valuable model for the study of how the nervous system is formed.