Nervous System News and Research

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The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous system contains the brain and spinal cord.

Regulating ion flow using a ball-and-chain mechanism

Ion channels that permit potassium and sodium ions to move in and out of cells are essential for the function of the brain and heart, and also for neuronal “firing” in the central nervous system.

19 Mar 2020

Changes in cell death patterns in the nervous system could allow a species to adapt to its environment

According to research conducted in fruit flies at the Francis Crick Institute, the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, zombie cells tend to develop into functional neurons when the death of neurons is stopped during brain growth.

12 Mar 2020

New canine study can benefit diagnostics and treatment of retinitis pigmentosa

A study performed on canines at the University of Helsinki characterizes a gene variant in the regulatory region of the retina that causes abnormal functioning of retinal genes and, ultimately, leads to loss of vision in dogs.

11 Mar 2020