The way glia operates is what I find to be particularly interesting since even my ELEVENTH edition text book found it difficult to summarize the exact function of glia cells. It seems to have this kind of mystical nature to it, the way we can't really understand a higher power because it is far too complicated and interrelated to everything around us. Since the astrocysts wrap around a presynaptic terminals of a group of related axons and it both takes and releases ions, it almost regulates or synchronizes the activity of axons (something we far better understand). As amazing as axons are, you have something like an astrocysts who don't just play a supporting role but a main role in the way messages are sent. They do much more in the forms of microglia, oligodendrocytes and even radial glia that guide the migration of neuron and their axons and dendrites during embryonic development. Wow, embryonic development! I think that is why I am so fascinated at the array of functions and how they seem to be lesser known but they guide our development and regulate the the way we feel, touch, perceive and understand on an even higher level than neurons. I think that neuroscientists are barely scratching the surface on how to better understand glia cells but I think they will continue to fascinate us. So much so that they will become even more than they already are despite our better understanding of them.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
My fascination with Glia
At the World Science Festival where many neuroscientists other doctors and physicists meet and discuss new discoveries in Science, there has been an interesting topic that has started to emerge. Scientist have developed a new method to study the Glia, which type of cell in the brain. The other type of cell which is a neuron and nueurons transmit information using electricity and seems like it is more concrete, more scientific because there has been more research and we have been studying neurons longer. After Albert Einstein's brain was examined after his death, they noticed that his the nuerons in his brain were not larger or that there was more of them or even different in any way to a normal person's brain. They did see that he had more glia cells which you might speculate is the reason for his genius. Here's a TV report that explains Einsteins genius.
The way glia operates is what I find to be particularly interesting since even my ELEVENTH edition text book found it difficult to summarize the exact function of glia cells. It seems to have this kind of mystical nature to it, the way we can't really understand a higher power because it is far too complicated and interrelated to everything around us. Since the astrocysts wrap around a presynaptic terminals of a group of related axons and it both takes and releases ions, it almost regulates or synchronizes the activity of axons (something we far better understand). As amazing as axons are, you have something like an astrocysts who don't just play a supporting role but a main role in the way messages are sent. They do much more in the forms of microglia, oligodendrocytes and even radial glia that guide the migration of neuron and their axons and dendrites during embryonic development. Wow, embryonic development! I think that is why I am so fascinated at the array of functions and how they seem to be lesser known but they guide our development and regulate the the way we feel, touch, perceive and understand on an even higher level than neurons. I think that neuroscientists are barely scratching the surface on how to better understand glia cells but I think they will continue to fascinate us. So much so that they will become even more than they already are despite our better understanding of them.
The way glia operates is what I find to be particularly interesting since even my ELEVENTH edition text book found it difficult to summarize the exact function of glia cells. It seems to have this kind of mystical nature to it, the way we can't really understand a higher power because it is far too complicated and interrelated to everything around us. Since the astrocysts wrap around a presynaptic terminals of a group of related axons and it both takes and releases ions, it almost regulates or synchronizes the activity of axons (something we far better understand). As amazing as axons are, you have something like an astrocysts who don't just play a supporting role but a main role in the way messages are sent. They do much more in the forms of microglia, oligodendrocytes and even radial glia that guide the migration of neuron and their axons and dendrites during embryonic development. Wow, embryonic development! I think that is why I am so fascinated at the array of functions and how they seem to be lesser known but they guide our development and regulate the the way we feel, touch, perceive and understand on an even higher level than neurons. I think that neuroscientists are barely scratching the surface on how to better understand glia cells but I think they will continue to fascinate us. So much so that they will become even more than they already are despite our better understanding of them.
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It's amazing to think that while you're going about your daily life (sitting in class, having lunch with friends, and even sleeping) that your body is constantly working at a cellular level. It doesn't ever cross our minds that our body is always striving to maintain equilibrium every moment of the day.
ReplyDeleteWithout homeostasis, our bodies would be susceptible to disease, infection, and all kinds of viruses. It's exactly like you were saying, everything is interrelated and connected. The cells inside our body are all connected and work together to ensure our health and homeostasis every day we are alive.
I think its cool how we can learn from tiny cells that are even hard to look at through microscopes. and as technology expands its also as you said just the surface of the way life itself works out every day. Its neat to think we have serval types of cells and different shapes and sizes! to be honest i never would have thought it would make the slightest difference, but as we read through sections 2.1 and 2.2 the shape is what distinguishes it!
ReplyDeletebased on your research that Albert Einstein's brain had more gila cells, i want a whole jar of them pls&thanks.
It is great to find about new developments that discovers so many functions of all brain cells and how they are able to analyse every single detail of them. I also believe that all this information is very complex, but as well believe that it is by far very interesting. It is amazing to find out about so many glia cells that weren't even aware of their existance and abilities or functions.
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