Scientists in India have created a detailed digital map of the human brainstembrainstem/ˈbreɪn.stem/L1脑干，连接大脑和身体的部分，控制呼吸、心跳等生命活动。The part of the brain that connects the brain to the body. It keeps us alive by controlling breathing and heartbeat. called Anchor. It links MRI scans of the whole brain with images of individual nerve cellsnerve cells/nɜːrv sɛlz/L2神经细胞cells that send and receive signals in the nervous system, also called neurons. The brainstem, which is a small but vital part of the brain, controls breathing, heartbeat, and sleep. The team at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras made the atlasatlas/ˈætləs/L2地图集；图谱a collection of maps or images that shows a particular area or subject in detail from over 500 tissue samples. "Every brain is a treasure chest of new knowledge," says expert Rebecca Folkerth.
The Anchor atlas shows more than 200 clusters of brain cells and nerve pathways. It was built from high-resolution microscope images. As a result, doctors can compare healthy maps with diseased tissue. If they do this, they will better understand disordersdisorders/dɪsˈɔːrdərz/L2疾病；失调medical conditions that affect the normal function of the body or mind like Parkinson's disease and stroke. The atlas also helps surgeonssurgeons/ˈsɜːrdʒənz/L2外科医生doctors who perform operations on patients navigate the brainstem safely because damage to it can be very serious.
The team made the atlas available online as a reference tool. It helps fill a big gap in neuroscience. Scientists who study the brainstem have detailed maps of animal brains, but human brains are harder to study. The team plans to map more than 100 human brains in the future. This could help doctors find new ways to treat brain injuries and other conditions.
