distorted human body based on nerves?

October 31, 2010 9:38 PM

I remember once seeing a diagram of the human body where all of the parts are sized based on the amount of nerves in them (it was distorted, like maps that enlarge or shrink areas so that they're representational of population size rather than area). The lips and hands were both really big. My google-fu is failing me-- does anyone know where I could find it?
posted by NoraReed to Science & Nature (4 answers total)

Best answer: You're looking for the sensory homonculous, there's also the similar but different motor homunculus
posted by brainmouse at 9:40 PM on October 31, 2010 [10 favorites]

Wow. Just, wow. That's a particularly good way to visualize that information, but outside of a medical context, creepiest paperweight ever.
posted by silentbicycle at 9:54 PM on October 31, 2010 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: That's it! Thank you brainmouse :)
posted by NoraReed at 10:27 PM on October 31, 2010

Brainmouse is entirely correct. That being said, I would like to point out that sensory and motor are just modifiers of the root word "homunculus" which of course wikipedia has everything about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homunculus
posted by surewouldoutlaw at 10:34 PM on October 31, 2010 [1 favorite]