Neuroscience

Scientists discover the origin of a giant synapse

Humans and most mammals can determine the spatial origin of sounds with remarkable acuity. We use this ability all the time—crossing the street; locating an invisible ringing cell phone in a cluttered bedroom. To accomplish ...

Neuroscience

Researchers identify how cells control calcium influx

(Medical Xpress)—When brain cells are overwhelmed by an influx of too many calcium molecules, they shut down the channels through which these molecules enter the cells. Until now, the "stop" signal mechanism that cells ...

Medical research

New methods to explore astrocyte effects on brain function

A study in The Journal of General Physiology presents new methods to evaluate how astrocytes contribute to brain function, paving the way for future exploration of these important brain cells at unprecedented levels of detail.

Neuroscience

Star-shaped glial cells act as the brain's 'motherboard'

The transistors and wires that power our electronic devices need to be mounted on a base material known as a "motherboard." Our human brain is not so different—neurons, the cells that transmit electrical and chemical signals, ...

Neuroscience

Epigenetics: Neurons remember because they move genes in space

How do neurons store information about past events? In the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, a mechanism unknown previously of memory traces formation has been discovered. ...

Neuroscience

Flip of a single molecular switch makes an old brain young

The flip of a single molecular switch helps create the mature neuronal connections that allow the brain to bridge the gap between adolescent impressionability and adult stability. Now Yale School of Medicine researchers have ...

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