Brain complexity: seratonuin producing neurons (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, November 06, 2015, 23:02 (3305 days ago) @ David Turell

Turns out there are several types in the brain stem controlling different functions. A reminder that the brain produces hormones as well as nerve signals. No computer does that:-http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-11-uncover-diverse-subtypes-serotonin-producing-neurons.html-"These brain cells make the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps regulate mood, appetite, breathing rate, body temperature and more.-***-"Last year, a team led by Harvard Medical School genetics professor Susan Dymecki defined a subgroup of serotonergic neurons in mice by showing that those cells specifically, among all serotonergic neurons, were responsible for increasing the breathing rate when too much carbon dioxide builds up in the body.-***-"The researchers report in Neuron that serotonergic neurons come in at least six major molecular subtypes defined by distinct expression patterns of hundreds of genes. In many cases, the subtypes modulate different behaviors in the body.
By conducting a cross-disciplinary series of experiments, the researchers found that the subtypes also vary in their developmental lineage, anatomical distribution, combinations of receptors on the cell surface and electrical firing properties.-"'This work reveals how diverse serotonin neurons are at the molecular level, which may help to explain how, collectively, they are able to perform so many distinct functions," said Benjamin Okaty, a postdoctoral researcher in the Dymecki lab and co-first author of the paper.-***-"Finally, the study provides an example of a highly integrative approach to understanding brain function at multiple scales, "linking genes and gene networks to the properties of single neurons and populations of neuron subtypes, all the way up to the level of animal behaviors," said Okaty. "I think it's a useful template going forward. Imagine what we'd learn by applying this approach to all the neurotransmitter systems in the brain.'" -Comment: this is a logical discovery. Since the brain constantly receives information about bodily functions, it is not a surprise that hormones are produced by the brain to instantly control functions, as well as controls by nerve impulses. Again, the brain is much more that a computer.