Which cells help track your position in space without external cues?

Grid cells are specialized neurons located in the entorhinal cortex of the brain that play a crucial role in spatial navigation and awareness. These cells generate a grid-like pattern of activity as an individual navigates through an environment, allowing for the internal representation of spatial location without relying on external cues.

Grid cells fire in a periodic hexagonal pattern that provides a coordinate system for tracking movement across space, contributing to the brain's ability to calculate distances and navigate effectively. This function is essential for understanding one’s spatial orientation and movement, especially in the absence of visual landmarks.

Place cells, although important for spatial recognition, primarily provide information regarding specific locations, firing in response to an animal being in a particular place. Neurons is a very general term that lacks specificity in this context, while GABA cells refer to inhibitory neurons that play a role in regulating neural activity but do not directly track spatial position. Therefore, grid cells are the ones that inherently facilitate this internal mapping of one’s position in space.