The evolution of the human being has a complex form in which some branches bifurcate and form two different species and some different branches come together again and form individuals with a certain degree of hybridization. The only hominin remaining today is Homo sapiens and the last to disappear was Homo neanderthalensis. Neanderthals, our closest […]
The perception of food occurs when food enters the oral cavity and depends on the action of three complementary sensory systems: somesthesia (a group that includes mechanoreception, thermal sensation and nociception), retronasal olfaction and taste. Taste is one of the five classical senses, along with smell, touch, hearing and sight. One of the most common […]
One of the intriguing and central mysteries in contemporary neuroscience revolves around the intricate relationship between the brain and the mind. While our understanding of neurons, neurotransmitters, and neuronal receptors has advanced significantly, the elusive question remains: How do these complex chemical and electrical processes translate into thoughts, emotions, and behaviors? Gaining insight into these […]
Platelets Author: José R. Pineda got his Ph.D. from University of Barcelona in 2006. Since 2007 he has worked for Institut Curie and The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. Currently he is a researcher of the UPV/EHU. He investigates the role of stem cells in physiologic and pathologic conditions. There is currently a […]
Lipids represent one of the fundamental molecular components within the realm of biological organisms, alongside proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. The concept of the “lipidome” pertains to the entirety of lipids found within a cell or a collection of cells. This terminology emerged within the context of modern biological sciences, often referred to as “omic […]
Mental illness is associated with accelerated ageing, namely with shorter life span and ageing-related diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular problems, with worse effects observed in men than women (the average lifespan for men having suffered from mental illness is 10 years shorter than for peers without those issues, for women the difference is seven […]
Our body is at the core of our sense of self and our personal identity. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the conscious experience of our own body remain poorly understood. Partial or total anesthesia of the body does not lead to the disappearance of the bodily experience, but to a continued experience of the body’s […]
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter involved in various cognitive and affective functions. Drugs targeting serotonin transmission, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are the first-line pharmacological treatments for many neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. These antidepressants increase the concentration in the synaptic space of this neurotransmitter […]
Typically, psychiatric disorders come more than one at a time. That is why patients often fit the profile of more than one illness. Until now, it was unclear why this was the case. Recent research seems to have thrown light on this question, as it identified a brain network common to at least six psychiatric […]
The brain tissue is filled by cells, the living units that enable function; the extracellular matrix, the scaffold wherein cells organize; and the blood vessels, which transport metabolic fuels such as oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Among the brain cells, we find the neurons, highly specialized cells that transmit information; and the glial cells […]