This week’s topic is the wiring of the brain, how neurons develop and how they know where to form extend their axons.
Samuel Girmay
This topic intrigued me. From our studies, we have learned that certain transcription factors dictate what the cell will become. These transcription factors are affected by certain extracellular as well as intercellular factors. It was interesting to know that neurons act the same way.
Also, what fascinated me was the formation of synapses. From my previous studies and what I have learned when watching a different nature documentary, simpler life forms such as amebas or molds act the similar way when contacting the target of interest. Would it be possible that neurons could have higher understanding compared to regular cells? If it’s able to subtract and extract its axon just by depending on its obstacle that it has been contacted. Also, I was thinking that would it be possible to mimic the reaction of the postsynaptic cell and see whether the synapse will form?
The chapter discusses the neurons that are formed in the brain, what about the other parts of the body? and which is the neuron in the leg formed, from the spinal cord or to the spinal cord?
