Rosehip neurons: a new type of nerve cell

This type of neuron has only recently been discovered, and it raises many unknowns.

The brain is one of the most important organs for most living organisms, since it is responsible for enabling the functioning of different systems and coordinating the different systems.The brain is one of the most important organs for most living beings, since it is responsible for allowing the functioning of the different systems and coordinating them with each other in order to achieve survival and adaptation to the environment. This organ has been studied for a long time, and each of its nooks and crannies has been explored and analyzed countless times.

But although some might think that since it has been so thoroughly analyzed, little can be discovered, the truth is that we still do not know much about it. In fact, even today surprising discoveries continue to be made about the king organ that allow us to explore and understand to a greater extent how the brain works and how it is capable of generating so much variability in behaviors and abilities.

An example of this occurred earlier this year, when a new type of nerve cell was discovered: rose hip neurons. a new type of nerve cell has been discovered: the rose hip neurons, which we will briefly discuss in this article.of which we are going to speak briefly throughout this article.

What are rose hip neurons?

Rosehip neurons, rosehip neurons or rosehip neurons are a new type of neuron that has recently been found by an international team of experts from the University of Szegeden, Poland. experts from the University of Szeged and the Allen Institute for Brain Science..

The discovery was reported and published this August, and was made accidentally while analyzing the brain tissues of two deceased subjects who had donated their bodies to science. Both centers discovered the presence of this type of neuron and subsequently collaborated to study it: while the Hungarians analyzed its shape and properties, the Americans did the same with its genetics.

Rose hip neurons are a type of neuron that has been found in the first layer of the neocortex, in its most superficial area, and whose name comes mainly from its morphology (as it reminds us of this plant). They are characterized by being relatively small and possessing a large number of highly branched dendrites, although these branches are compacted. They also have axonal buds in the shape of a rosehip bulb. For the time being they have been found in the sensory cortex and are relatively rare, accounting for only about 10% of layer I of the neocortex.

They are interneurons that have very specific connections. with neurons located in the third layer of the cortex, and specifically it has been seen that they make connection with the pyramidal cells. Moreover, their connection is very precise, connecting only in specific parts of the pyramidal neurons. It has also been seen that they have an inhibitory behavior, being GABAergic neurons that probably control the transmission of information in a very specific way. At the genetic level it has been observed that they have a genetic profile that for the moment has only been found in humans and that allow the activation of a series of very specific genes.

What are its functions?

The discovery of rosehip neurons is extremely recent, and their exact function is not yet known. However, in the absence of further research, because of the areas in which they have been found and because of the connections they make with other neurons it is possible to speculate and hypothesize hypothesize about some possible functions.

For example, the fact that their action is inhibitory and that they are GABAergic may lead us to think that they have the mission of controlling information in a very precise way, being able to generate a greater control of the transmission of information in such a way that unnecessary signals are blocked. The fact that they appear in the outermost and phylogenetically most novel part of the brain may be linked to elements such as consciousness, consciousness, consciousness, and the brain. linked to elements such as consciousness, higher cognitive functions, or the precise processing of sensory information. or the precise processing of sensory information.

Only in humans?

One of the most surprising aspects of this type of neuron is the fact that its discovery has only been made in humans, not in the mouse samples that have been studied, for example. This could indicate the existence of a distinctive type of nerve cell in humans, something that, according to experts, could help explain the existence of cognitive differences between us and other animal species.

However, it should be noted that the fact that its existence in other beings has not been documented does not imply that it does not exist, and may simply be due to the fact that it is not present in other animals.It may simply be because it has not yet been analyzed or discovered in them. After all, the rose hip neurons have just been discovered in humans: it would not be unreasonable if they had not been observed or had been overlooked in other species. It would be useful to assess, for example, whether animals with intelligent behaviors such as apes or dolphins possess them.

Avenues for future research

The discovery of these neurons has implications of great relevance for human beings, and may help us to explain aspects of our psyche that we do not yet know. may help us to explain aspects of our psyche that are still unknown to us..

For example, the study of brains of people with different neurological and psychiatric diseases is being considered in order to assess whether the rose hip neurons are present in them or could have some kind of alteration. Other possible avenues of research would be to explore whether there is some kind of relationship between rose hip neurons and self-awareness, metacognition or higher mental abilities.

Bibliographical references:

• Boldog, E., Bakken, T.E., Hodge, R.D., Novotny, M., Aevermann, B.D., Baka, J., Bordé, S., Close, J.L. Diez-Fuertes, F., Ding, S.L., Faragó, N., Kocsis, A.K., Kovács, B., Malter, Z., McCorrison, J.M., Miller, J.A., Molnár, G., Oláh, G., Ozsvár, A., Rózsa, M., Shehata, S.I., Smith, K.A., Sunkin, S.M., Tran, D.N., Venepally, P., Wall, A., Puskás, L.G., Barzó, P., Steemers, F.J., Schork, N.J., Scheuermann, R.H., Lasken, R.S., Lein, E.S. & Tamás, G. (2018). Transcriptomic and morphophysiological evidence for a specialized human cortical GABAergic cell type. Nature Neuroscience, 21: 1185-1195.