[ExI] book on cells - TMI !!!!

[William Flynn Wallace]

The Secret Language of Cells - Jon Lieff

I have never in my life read such a book.  Example:  I knew about glial
cells and actually have mentioned them a few times in posts, reminding
everyone that neurons aren't all there is up there.

Little did I know:  thousands of different types, not only feeding neurons,
as I knew but communicating with other glial cells, capillaries (which do
far, far more than carry blood around), T and other immune cells,
choroid-lining cells, and so on.  How many types of glia?  Thousands.
Every progress in electron microscopes yields more types of brain cells.

"Astrocyte signals are different in each brain region, and for each
individual astrocyte.  In addition, signals can be different in each of the
thousands of tiny protrusions on a single astrocyte."

How many types of neurons?  Thousands.  How many types of
neurotransmitters?  Thirty so far. Number of ways of communicating with
other cells:  four so far.  1 - the well-known chemical communication at
synapses, 2 - electrical communication with other neurons, 3 - electrical
communication with other types of cells, 4 - signals taking place other
than at the synapse.The first two have to occur together.

Capillaries.  Vital building partners in all phases of tissue growth and
management.  Sends signals to maintain normal metabolism; regulate the
growth of all tissue cells; get directions from discussions (!) among stem
cells, blood cells, tissue cells, and local neurons, call for immune
response help in cases of infection and alerts T cells into action
(chemical signals through the bloodstream).  When rebuilding damaged
tissue, capillaries communicate with stem cells to avoid production of
scars from excess fibers.

Just carrying blood, huh!?

Brain waves:  side effects of neurons firing, right? In part.  They can be
signals from one part of the brain to another telling it that a message is
coming, and then it does.

Every paragraph contains content that could be studied all of one's life.

What did I get out of it?  As I went along I saw how far we are from even
thinking of anything like uploading a brain.  Every cell talks to more than
one other type of cell and in numerous ways.

Just totally overwhelming - stunning.  Usually I take a pencil and
underline important parts.  Might as well underline everything.  And yet I
could understand every word of it - written for the educated layman.

I did not read every word.  No point to it.  Enormously influenced my ideas
of brain function, and how long it will take to really get a handle on it,
if we ever can do that.

p.s. the author points out the fMRI does not measure neuronal activity, but
blood flow

bill w
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