'Predecessor' Neurons to Human Brain Discovered

Yale researchers claim to have found the very first neurons in what eventually becomes the human brain. Developed before most anything else, these neurons are in place just 31 days after fertilization. From the article: "We hypothesize that these predecessor neurons may be a transient population involved in determining the number of functional radial units including the human specific regions of the cerebral cortex mediating higher cognitive functions," Rakic said. "As a next step it is essential to determine their neural stem cell lineage, pattern of gene expression, developmental role and eventual fate."

Comments

Article failed to mention

[riff420]

and on the 32nd day, the currently dim-witted embryo signs up for a myspace account.

Re:Article failed to mention

[Anonymous Coward]

On the 35th day, it becomes the President of the United States.

Re:Article failed to mention

[zepher-109]

Where it's writing emo blog entrees about how he's going to get killed by stem cell researchers?

I see...

[Kagura]

"We hypothesize that these predecessor neurons may be a transient population involved in determining the number of functional radial units including the human specific regions of the cerebral cortex mediating higher cognitive functions..."

Oh, wow. That's actually pretty clear! It's actually all written right there. I suppose it was a real head-smacking time down at the lab when this statement came down the line, being so obvious.

Re:I see...

[Sci-Fri-Guy]

Let me help you. I will put it in words you can understand. "We is thinkin that these little thingies is there before the little thingies we call brain thingies that make us think. They ain't stickin' around and if we ain't got 'em, we ain't got no brain parts." Does that help?

Substrates

[headkase]

Some are afraid of artificial intelligence. I'm afraid I'll have to get my kid "enhanced" just so he can keep up in school. Meat is programmable too. Knowledge is good but ethics will hopefully ease our future obsolescence.

science, or fiction?

[macadamia_harold]

Yale researchers claim to have found the very first neurons in what eventually becomes the human brain.

The human brain isn't made out of neurons. It is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.

Finally?

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot: 'Predecessor' Neurons to Human Brain Discovered

Me: Whee! Does this mean I can finally get laid?

Re:Expect abortion opponents to jump on this.

[Lemmy Caution]

You seem to think the organism is a human life only after reading Descartes. Personally, I think human life begins just after graduate school. Although post-docs are a bit iffy.

Re:Expect abortion opponents to jump on this.

[modecx]

I'm pro-choice all the way, man.. And I don't draw the line of "viable life" upon the exit of the womb! I mean, could that be any more arbitrary? Of course not.

Personally, I'm all for legislation that legalizes retroactive abortions, up to about age 23 or so... And should such a law come to pass I already have a list of several deserving candidates!

The intergalactic expressway is coming!!

[smchris]

Unfortunately, fetal experimentation will be against the law so when they test it on mice, mice _will_ be the most intelligent species on earth.