Breaking down the brain for everyone to understand
Neurons require a lot of energy to keep your brain functioning, and this energy is overwhelmingly generated by certain cellular components: the mitochondria. Here, we discuss how mitochondria actually perform their most famous job of producing your cells’ energy, as well as the other roles they play in neuronal health.
The transport and delivery of goods is essential for ourselves and our community. Did you know that neurons have a delivery system too? Dive into axonal transport, your neurons’ method of transporting cargo.
A long-awaited first step towards a cure for a devastating brain disease
Neurons are far from the only cell type in the brain; other cells like astrocytes and microglia are also crucial for brain function. In certain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s where we see irreversible neuron death, researchers are starting to ask: what role do these other cell types play?
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects 1% of the U.S. population above the age of 60. Symptoms of Parkinson’s impact all facets of life. You might be wondering- if Parkinson’s is so common, why haven’t we been able to develop a cure? Here, we break down some of the aspects of Parkinson’s pathology that make it such a complicated disease to understand.
Our body’s built-in brakes keep us safely still even while our brains remain active during REM sleep.
A new study finds links between several viruses and brain diseases. We’ll break down what this study does and doesn’t tell you about what to think next time you get the flu.
A recent study suggests that an Alzheimer’s disease-related protein could explain why specific neurons die first.
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