Author archives: José Ramón Alonso

Neurogenesis and Zika virus

Neurogenesis and Zika virus

HealthNeurobiology

By José Ramón Alonso

Neurogenesis is the process by which neurons are generated from neural stem cells and progenitor cells. It is a crucial part of neural development and is most active during pre-natal life, being responsible for populating the growing brain with neurons. Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne and sexually-transmitted flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda […]

Hibernation and white-nose syndrome

Hibernation and white-nose syndrome

Biology

By José Ramón Alonso

Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression used by some mammals to survive a cold winter. It may last several days, weeks, or months depending on the species, environment temperature, season, and individual’s body condition. Usually, hibernating animals survive the energetic bottleneck of the winter by building stores of body fat in late […]

Breaking the barrier

Breaking the barrier

Neurobiology

By José Ramón Alonso

The blood-brain barrier is one of the defenses of the central nervous system. It is made of a thin layer of endothelial cells closely fitted together by tight junctions, being a mandatory pass between the blood and the neural cells. Thus, this barrier, considered the last great biochemical barricade in the organism, separates the blood […]

Fight suicide!

Fight suicide!

HealthNeurobiologyPharmacy

By José Ramón Alonso

Suicide is one of the worst health and social problems in the modern world. Hundreds of millions of persons experience suicidal thoughts every year and between 10 and 20 millions went on to attempt suicide. In Spain, although the average risk is lower than in Northern countries, almost 4.000 persons die every year by their […]

Human-mouse chimeras

Human-mouse chimeras

Neurobiology

By José Ramón Alonso

Chimera was a monster from the Greek mythology, a hybrid creature usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back and a tail ending in a snake. In biology, the term «chimera» is used for a single organism with genetically distinct cells from two different zygotes, also a hybrid […]

Changing the way of life

Changing the way of life

Biology

By José Ramón Alonso

In multicellular organisms, embryonic stem cells develop into any of the different cell types that will form the adult, and along the development, they silence or activate different parts of the genome, giving rise to distinct cell identities, which are maintained throughout adult life by epigenetic mechanisms. A similar procedure may be at work at […]

Lefties

Lefties

Biology

By José Ramón Alonso

Behavioral lateralization is a significant field of study because it may provide insights into the initial origins of lateralization. Different and very diverse organisms show lateralization. The best known is handedness, a better (faster or more precise) performance or individual preference for use of a hand but it is not unique, many creatures, including humans […]

No talking while walking

No talking while walking

Biology

By José Ramón Alonso

Complex systems in biology have several levels of organization, establishing a hierarchy of systems and subsystems. An ant colony is a wonderful example with the highest level being the colony itself, formed by hundreds or thousands of insects, each individual ant formed by millions of cells including 10 5 -10 6 neurons, and each cell […]

It’s raining ants !

It’s raining ants !

Biology

By José Ramón Alonso

Animals drift when they enter a fluid (liquid or gas) and are transported to a new location by gravity or currents. Drift is best known from rivers and ocean currents, but can also occur on land, whenever organisms leave their former solid position, pass into the air, and are moved significant distances by the combined […]

Team building

Team building

Biology

By José Ramón Alonso

The biological world is composed of dense, communicating, and difficult to understand ensembles. Animals living in groups –a school of fish, a flock of birds– have evolved to act in concert, a quality needed for coordinated movement. More complex than just moving together, group carrying is fairly rare in nature and only social spiders, dung […]