3 ms·
ELI5: Cells in your brain that aren't neurons also send signals. For diseases related to these specific signals we should focus on these helper cells more.
by iandanforth 3y ago
ELI5: Cells in your brain that aren't neurons also send signals. For diseases related to these specific signals we should focus on these helper cells more.
- neural_thing 3y agoHighly recommend Anna Orr's work on astrocytes in Alzheimer's if anyone is interested https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-ago2002 https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-ago2002
- ljlolel 3y agoCells use the neural network like Ethernet for sending data. I bet cells not in the brain use it too.
- tessierashpool 3y agowe probably underestimate the complexity of the nervous system to a profound degree. just in terms of low-hanging fruit in that category, not most people know this, but the gut contains a "brain" on the level of a frog's brain, which is more reasonably understood as a specialized brain-like digestion processing management unit. similar to the way computers have CPUs and GPUs, humans have brains and stomach brains. there's evidence that female humans may also have a third "brain" which performs similar specialized processing for the uterus, but I don't remember if that was ever fully proven.