Greetings all,
In my readings so far, the reorganizing system has been explained as a necessary component of PCT, and its functions delineated, but otherwise has been left a mystery. I would like to propose a candidate for the reorganization system.
The neuronal component of the human nervous system comprises only about half of that system. The other half is composed of glial cells. The neuronal system has been the focus of most brain research, in part because its electrical signals are easier to detect and follow compared to the glial system's chemical signaling. But also because neurons somewhat resemble the wires of an electrical circuit and hence hold out the promise of being "traced". But this emphasis on the neurons and dismissal of glial cells as mere infrastructure has come under scrutiny.
It now appears that the glial brain constructs the neuronal brain, regulates it, monitors it, repairs it, and makes changes to it. A somewhat popularized, but nonetheless handy, compilation of the evidence for this expanded role of the glial brain can be found in the book "The Other Brain" by Fields (2011).
I suggest that since it appears that the glial brain is to some extent the "operator" of the neuronal brain, it is a likely candidate for the reorganization system.
Blake
Very good, Blake. Thinking like an engineer. There is indeed a 1:1 ratio between glial cells and neurons. The role they play as scaffolding is analogous to the role which scaffolds play in organizing genetic material. Instead of acting like an operator, however, I would imagine such scaffolding to act like an operating system - an interface managing the commands which pass between hardware and software. But it is more than likely that the role of operator and operating system can be collapsed into one function. Have you found evidence that the glial cells are active in behavior throughout the entire lifetime of the individual, or primarily during growth and development?
It’s good to start with simple organisms, such as worms. If you wish, we can read and discuss this paper together.
glial cells.pdf (1.69 MB)
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On Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 10:10 AM, PHILIP JERAIR YERANOSIAN pyeranos@ucla.edu wrote:
Very good, Blake. Thinking like an engineer. There is indeed a 1:1 ratio between glial cells and neurons. The role they play as scaffolding is analogous to the role which scaffolds play in organizing genetic material. Instead of acting like an operator, however, I would imagine such scaffolding to act like an operating system - an interface managing the commands which pass between hardware and software. But it is more than likely that the role of operator and operating system can be collapsed into one function. Have you found evidence that the glial cells are active in behavior throughout the entire lifetime of the individual, or primarily during growth and development?
Hi Blake, Bill had also suggested this a few years ago in CSGNet so you are on the same page!
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On 24 Sep 2015, at 17:23, Blake Ashley <Blake.Ashley@tucsonaz.gov> wrote:
Greetings all,
In my readings so far, the reorganizing system has been explained as a necessary component of PCT, and its functions delineated, but otherwise has been left a mystery. I would like to propose a candidate for the reorganization system.
The neuronal component of the human nervous system comprises only about half of that system. The other half is composed of glial cells. The neuronal system has been the focus of most brain research, in part because its electrical signals are easier to detect and follow compared to the glial system's chemical signaling. But also because neurons somewhat resemble the wires of an electrical circuit and hence hold out the promise of being "traced". But this emphasis on the neurons and dismissal of glial cells as mere infrastructure has come under scrutiny.
It now appears that the glial brain constructs the neuronal brain, regulates it, monitors it, repairs it, and makes changes to it. A somewhat popularized, but nonetheless handy, compilation of the evidence for this expanded role of the glial brain can be found in the book "The Other Brain" by Fields (2011).
I suggest that since it appears that the glial brain is to some extent the "operator" of the neuronal brain, it is a likely candidate for the reorganization system.
Blake
[Blake Ashley (2015.9.25)]
PY: Have you found evidence that the glial cells are active
in behavior throughout the entire lifetime of the individual, or primarily
during growth and development?
BA: My knowledge is shallow, but I have read that the glial system continues to monitor (in the sense of retrieving signals from), regulate (in the sense of changing neuronal activity), and repair the neuronal system for the entire lifetime of the individual.
[Blake Ashley (2015.9.25)]
WM: Hi Blake, Bill had also suggested this a few years ago in CSGNet so you are on the same page!
BA: Nice to know, thanks! I am happy being a homunculus leaping from shoulder to shoulder among the giants.
bob hintz - 2015.9.25
bh - If folks are going to think about brains, it would be good to start noticing that internal variables are controlled 24/7 in order to stay alive, while external variables are primarily ignored 6 to 8 hours a day by most humans when they sleep. External variables (outside the skin) have value in so far as they related to internal variables. Do we have a hierarchy of internal variables similar to the hierarchy of external variables primarily discussed in PCT? Infants don’t have but do have innate references for some internal variables even if they cannot control them very well. Parents keep infants alive while they learn both internal and external control of different variables. Humans do not acquire control of either by themselves.
bh - I have not read the article yet, but will try to get to it in the next few days. I would assume that inside/outside applies to worms and learning as well as to humans. Just some thoughts that might also be relevant to glial vs neuronal considerations.
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On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 9:17 AM, Blake Ashley Blake.Ashley@tucsonaz.gov wrote:
[Blake Ashley (2015.9.25)]
WM: Hi Blake, Bill had also suggested this a few years ago in CSGNet so you are on the same page!
BA: Nice to know, thanks! I am happy being a homunculus leaping from shoulder to shoulder among the giants.