News tagged with nerve cells

Scientists discover molecule triggers sensation of itch

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health report they have discovered in mouse studies that a small molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as ...

Medical research created 6 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

The secret lives, and deaths, of neurons

As the human body fine-tunes its neurological wiring, nerve cells often must fix a faulty connection by amputating an axon—the "business end" of the neuron that sends electrical impulses to tissues or other ...

Neuroscience created 8 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Defective cellular waste removal explains why Gaucher patients often develop Parkinson's disease

Gaucher disease causes debilitating and sometimes fatal neurodegeneration in early childhood. Recent studies have uncovered a link between the mutations responsible for Gaucher disease and an increased risk ...

Parkinson's & Movement disorders created 7 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Hormone signal drives motor neuron growth, fish study shows

A discovery made in fish could aid research into motor neuron disease.

Medical research created 8 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Breakthrough on Huntington's disease

Researchers at Lund University have succeeded in preventing very early symptoms of Huntington's disease, depression and anxiety, by deactivating the mutated huntingtin protein in the brains of mice.

Neuroscience created 8 hours ago | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Reducing caloric intake delays nerve cell loss

Activating an enzyme known to play a role in the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction delays the loss of brain cells and preserves cognitive function in mice, according to a study published in the May ...

Neuroscience created May 21, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Signs of motor disorders can appear years before disease manifestation

It is known that signs of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease can appear years before the disease becomes manifest; these signs take the form of subtle changes in the brain and behavior of ...

Neuroscience created May 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Drugs found to both prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease in mice

Researchers at USC have found that a class of pharmaceuticals can both prevent and treat Alzheimer's Disease in mice.

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created May 21, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Common food supplement fights degenerative brain disorders

Widely available in pharmacies and health stores, phosphatidylserine is a natural food supplement produced from beef, oysters, and soy. Proven to improve cognition and slow memory loss, it's a popular treatment for older ...

Medical research created May 21, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Beta-blockers may boost chemo effect in childhood cancer

Beta-blockers, normally used for high blood pressure, could enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapies in treating neuroblastoma, a type of children's cancer, according to a new study published in the British Jo ...

Cancer created May 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Study shows premature birth interrupts vital brain development processes leading to reduced cognitive abilities

Researchers from King's College London have for the first time used a novel form of MRI to identify crucial developmental processes in the brain that are vulnerable to the effects of premature birth. This new study, published ...

Neuroscience created May 20, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Ketamine shows significant therapeutic benefit in people with treatment-resistant depression

Patients with treatment-resistant major depression saw dramatic improvement in their illness after treatment with ketamine, an anesthetic, according to the largest ketamine clinical trial to-date led by researchers from the ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 19, 2013 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (7) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Study identifies new approach to improving treatment for MS and other conditions

(Medical Xpress)—Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), UC Davis scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved ...

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created May 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

SUMO wrestling cells reveal new protective mechanism target for stroke

Scientists investigating the interaction of a group of proteins in the brain responsible for protecting nerve cells from damage have identified a new target that could increase cell survival.

Medical research created May 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Neuron

A neuron (pronounced /ˈnjʊərɒn/ N(Y)OOR-on, also known as a neurone or nerve cell) is an excitable cell in the nervous system that processes and transmits information by electrochemical signalling. Neurons are the core components of the brain, the vertebrate spinal cord, the invertebrate ventral nerve cord, and the peripheral nerves. A number of specialized types of neurons exist: sensory neurons respond to touch, sound, light and numerous other stimuli affecting cells of the sensory organs that then send signals to the spinal cord and brain. Motor neurons receive signals from the brain and spinal cord and cause muscle contractions and affect glands. Interneurons connect neurons to other neurons within the same region of the brain or spinal cord. Neurons respond to stimuli, and communicate the presence of stimuli to the central nervous system, which processes that information and sends responses to other parts of the body for action. Neurons do not go through mitosis, and usually cannot be replaced after being destroyed, although astrocytes have been observed to turn into neurons as they are sometimes pluripotent.

For more information about Neuron, read the full article at Wikipedia.
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