> We know the brain can take some damage and still function quite well, but are there single neurons or tiny groups of them that will basically bring down the s

> We know the brain can take some damage and still function quite well, but are there single neurons or tiny groups of them that will basically bring down the system if damaged? I like this question. I'm not a neuroscientist though, but I think most neurons come in fibers that contain several of them. So even if a certain connection was critical, a single one dying will still leave a functional fiber. Because neurons are plastic (to a limited but significant extent), any effect from that single neuron can be partially or completely compensated.