New axon for neurons

2002/06/11 Orobengoa, Olatz - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Biologia

In order to know the cause of differences between the peripheral and central nervous system, scientists are conducting numerous studies. Scientists at Stanford University in California are also working on it and the final results have been published in the journal Science on June 7.

Scientists have studied the neurons of the retina ganglion and have seen that the neurons of 8-day rats have less and less capacity to create a new axon. On the contrary, the ability to produce new axons in embryonic neurons is maintained.

The reason for this is found in the cells of amacrine in the retina. Contact with these cells before neurons are isolated has been shown to completely lose their ability to produce axons. Scientists know that amacrine cells appear in the nervous system for a long time, but so far it has not been known that they had this influence.

Therefore, just as the chemical substances surrounding neurons influence the formation of the axons, it must be taken into account that there are cellular mechanisms that definitively prevent the formation of the axons.