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Great article, as usual from Nautilus! I would like to add one more myth the list. The idea that we all have a finite amount of brains cells. They used to tea
by 40four 6y ago
Great article, as usual from Nautilus!
I would like to add one more myth the list. The idea that we all have a finite amount of brains cells.
They used to teach that we’re all born with a certain amount of brain cells, and over time from aging, or getting a concussion, or if you ‘do drugs’, you would lose said cells. And that’s that. No more new brain cells :)
We know this to be false now. I don’t know how much this one has persisted, I haven’t heard it in a while. But it was drilled into my head as a kid.
Not related to brains, but another health myth that comes to mind is the idea that our tounges & taste buds are divided into ‘zones’ that perceive the different flavors. I don’t remember the order, but something like the tip tastes sweet, the middle is umami, the sides are sour, et cetera.
Now we understand all taste buds taste all flavors. Is is interesting these old models science came up with to try to explain things, and how long some of them persisted.
PS: Check out the 2002 album ‘Phrenology’ by the Roots. It’s a classic!
- abellerose 6y agoDo you have links to share for what you're claiming is now false? I haven't seen any conclusive evidence yet for what you're claiming.
- 40four 6y agoSure. I’m not an expert or anything, but the term ‘neurogenesis’ would be what you want. I guess the fact that many neurons are formed in the womb, and last our whole lives still holds true, but the realization that at least some parts of the brain continuously generate new cells is significant. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4306487/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4306487/ From the introduction: ”For a long time, it was thought that the nervous system is fixed and incapable of regeneration. Although it is indeed true that most neurons in the brain are generated before birth and are never exchanged, it is now well established that new neurons are continuously generated by stem cells in at least two discrete regions in the brain throughout life in most mammals: the hippocampus—a seahorse-shaped structure underneath the cortex that is important for memory formation and cognitive functions; and the olfactory bulb (OB)—a structure located above the nasal cavity that is important for the sense of smell.” “Tongue map” -> https://www.livescience.com/7113-tongue-map-tasteless-myth-debunked.html https://www.livescience.com/7113-tongue-map-tasteless-myth-d... To be honest, after reading a little more, I’m a little unclear on if ‘all taste buds taste all flavors’. I might be wrong to say it like that. I saw one thing that said there are actually different types of receptor cells, but they are not isolated into zones, and somewhat evenly distributed across the whole tongue.
- devindotcom 6y agoI believe there is at least one prominent exception in the hair cells in the inner ear. These are not replaced once they rupture - producing the distinctive tinnitus sound at the frequency they monitor. Or perhaps I'm mistaken in this — it's been a while since my studies!