There exists a technology that lets scientists selectively target and color code cells. Quantum dots are tiny nanometer-sized particles that display unique physical properties that allow them to fluoresce across a rainbow of bright colors. They can also be molecularly functionalized, meaning that you can chemically attach other molecules and proteins to their surface which in turn interacts with different cells in a targeted way. This makes them well suited for visualizing and tracking molecular processes inside cells, including neurons in the brain and other parts of the nervous system.
What are quantum dots and how do they work?
If you take an atom and inject energy into it, for example, by shining it with light of a specific wavelength, the electrons that surround the nucleus of the atom get excited and jump to a higher energy level.
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