April 17, 2017 – Modification

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:03 — 1.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Anchor lead: Fine tuning neurons may be the work of a newly described system, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Neurons used to be thought of as being like on-off switches, either sending a signal down the line or not doing so. Now a new process for what used to be thought of as a cellular garbage disposal may be fine-turning the neuron response. That’s according to research by Kapil Ramachandran and Seth Margolis at Johns Hopkins. Margolis comments.

Margolis: The majority of our understanding of signaling in the nervous system comes from the neurotransmitters. Those neurotransmitters allow for a very important signal across the neuron that ultimately leads to the foundations of our ability to function cognitively. There are other types of molecules which also signal to modulate the ability of these neurotransmitters to work. We think that these signaling components also might contribute to modulating the system in such a way that will affect how effectively neurotransmitters will ultimately mediate signaling across the neuron.  :33

At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.