There are hundreds of thousands of distinct colors and shapes that a person can distinguish visually, but how does the brain process all of this information? Scientists previously believed that the visual system initially encodes shape and color with different sets of neurons and then combines them much later. But a new study from Salk researchers, published in Science on June 27, 2019, shows that there are neurons that respond selectively to particular combinations of color and shape. "New genetic sensors and imaging technologies have allowed us to more thoroughly test the link between visual circuits that process color and shape," says Edward Callaway, senior author and professor in Salk's Systems Neurobiology Laboratory. "These findings provide valuable insight about how visual circuits are connected and organized in the brain." Neurobiology is the study of the nervous system and how the brain works. The field studies nervous system functions, brain function and the related structures such as the spinal cord. Neurobiology is a subset of both physiology and neuroscience. Neurobiology is a scientific field in which researchers study the nervous system and brain function. Both neuroscience and physiology benefit from research findings in neurobiology. The full vertebrate nervous system includes both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The central nervous system consists of the brain, retina, and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system comprised of the nerves outside the central nervous system that connect it to the rest of the body. Basic neurobiology at the tissue level is composed of neurons, glial cells, and the extracellular matrix. Neurons are the nervous system’s cells that process information. Glial cells provide nourishment, protection, and structural support to neurons. The extracellular matrix in the brain provides support on the molecular level for both neurons and glial cells. A specialized type of glial cell, astrocytes, have attracted dedicated research interests. These cells and the extracellular matrix make up nerves and the brain regions. Neuroscience research studies the interactions between each of these.