The great Spanish histologist and Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, was probably the first modern scientist to say that neurons in the adult brain did not divide. In other words, humans are born with a finite number of brain cells and an individual cannot develop/grow/replicate new cells over the course of their adult lives. This is an axiom that underlies some parts of the stem-cell debate.
There is emerging research that seems to refute this notion. I have written a long article for my friends over at Psychiatric Resource Forum discussing the research indicating that humans may have the ability to produce new neurons in key regions of the brain throughout life, a process called neurogenesis. I also discuss what this means for field of psychiatry.
The concept of neurogenesis also engenders hope for the fields of personal and spiritual development. I will discuss these at a later date. I just wanted to link to this article because it provides (along with the links) a good primer on neurogenesis that will be helpful as I write new posts.
Technorati tags: neurogenesis, personal growth, Self Improvement
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