Zellis & Neuro-Nora: How your brain cells learn
Dear diary,
Today I had a really exciting conversation with my cell friend Neuro-Nora. As you know, she is a brain cell in our humans body and explained to me what happens in the brain when we learn something new.
Nora says that the sensory cells first absorb the new information. This is then passed on as electrical signals so that they reach the brain cells like Nora. This is the first step in our ability to process new information.
Then something happens that we call ‘synaptogenesis’. This creates new connections between the brain cells. You can think of these connections as new roads that are built so that information can flow better and faster.
Nora also told me that special messenger substances such as glutamate make these new connections even stronger. In addition, existing connections are sometimes strengthened to make the transmission of signals even more efficient.
Something very special also happens in the nucleus of the nerve cells. Certain genes are activated that produce proteins that are necessary to permanently store these new or strengthened connections. In this way, what we have learnt remains in our memory.
I am amazed at how well we cells work together to keep our human alive and support them as best as possible in their everyday lives. Every cell in the body has a small task, but together we achieve great things.
Stay cell-fresh,
Zellis