Brain complexity: Complex human astrocytes (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, December 11, 2015, 00:10 (3271 days ago) @ David Turell

Astrocytes control synapses and human astrocytes are more complex in form and activity than in mice.-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151210124540.htm-"In Neuron on December 10, Stanford researchers present the first functional and molecular comparison of human and mouse astrocytes, and while 85%-90% of the genes are similar, human astrocytes have unique genes and respond differently to neurotransmitters, particularly glutamate. This presumably means that, at the adult stage, human astrocytes, in contrast to mouse astrocytes, are better at detecting neuroactivity and adjusting their functions in response.-"'We are only beginning to understand the unique properties of human astrocytes," says first author Ye Zhang, a postdoctoral scholar in Stanford University School of Medicine's Department of Neurobiology. "We found hundreds of genes expressed exclusively by human astrocytes, and future studies will likely reveal additional biological differences. Potentially, this work will help us recognize the role of these cells in biological disorders.'"-Comment: Not surprising considering the intellect and consciousness we have.