video Twilight The Neurotransmitter

[Twilight Sparkle ✨ 8,520]

 

 

This was a project I put together for biology class. The idea was to abstract the process of inter-neuron communication that occurs at a synapse into an unrelated context to show that we understand the process. We were given full creative freedom, so I decided to make my project pony-themed. I'll be presenting it in roughly ten hours from the time of this post.

 

In a nutshell, I translated this:

 

• action potential triggers Ca⁺² channels to open
• Ca⁺² floods in
• neurotransmitter vesicles move to pre-synaptic membrane
• exocytosis of neurotransmitters
• neurotransmitters cross the synaptic cleft and bind to receptor proteins
• sodium gates on post-synaptic membrane open, causing depolarization and starting an action potential
• neurotransmitters return to pre-synaptic cell

...into this:

 

• pony (neurotransmitter) reaches postal office (pre-synaptic membrane) with a letter (action potential)
• pony leaves postal office (exocytosis of neurotransmitter) and takes letter to next town (crosses synaptic cleft)
• pony delivers letter to postal office (binding to receptor)
• pony returns to home town (neurotransmitter returning to pre-synaptic membrane)

The translation wasn't perfect, as I couldn't figure out how to represent the calcium ions in pony form. I'm also well aware that Twilight Sparkle is not a mailpony, but my resources were quite limited and I only had two days to make this.

 

This animator kit from deviantART was a lifesaver, as I haven't done any real animation since I was 12 (even then, I was hardly good at it). The music is from the Iron Pony Competition in Fall Weather Friends. Everything was done in Adobe Flash.

 

I took so many shortcuts while making this (using screenshot backgrounds, premade animations, graphics, etc.), I'm not sure if I can even call it my animation. But the mere act of crossing ponies with my studies was fun and rewarding enough in itself.

[Derpy Whooves 77]

You sir are awesome for making this

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

I'd say that's a rather good translation of the concept into a pony form. True, you might not have been able to fully represent Calcium ions, but the basic idea of how inter-neurotransmission works is what you were after, and I'd say you pulled that off. I liked it.

[Envoy-in-exile 101]

Perhaps just simply ponies with Ca2+ cutie marks ? Good stuff though. How were the reactions to this?

[Shankveld 4,945]

I remember taking advanced anatomy in my final year of highschool so this quite charming to see, I applaud you on your amazing animation skills. ~

100%

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

wow, ponies and biology, does the fun ever end?

[Twilight Sparkle ✨ 8,520]

I'd say that's a rather good translation of the concept into a pony form. True, you might not have been able to fully represent Calcium ions, but the basic idea of how inter-neurotransmission works is what you were after, and I'd say you pulled that off. I liked it.

 

Sounds like you've studied the subject as well, Kyronea! Glad to hear your positive opinion of my little translation.

 

Perhaps just simply ponies with Ca2+ cutie marks ? Good stuff though. How were the reactions to this?

 

I didn't actually end up presenting it... we had a sub in biology today so I had to resort to emailing the video and this topic to my teacher.

 

I remember taking advanced anatomy in my final year of highschool so this quite charming to see, I applaud you on your amazing animation skills. ~

100%

 

Re-read the last little blurb from my post - I did not create the pony animations you see.