&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "In two minds? Human brain is not one, but two separate organs")
A study has revealed that the human brain is not one, but two separate organs. Scientists from Stanford University noted that the human brain consists of two ancient nervous systems that evolved separately. Today we have the hindbrain and the higher brain that work together. While the former helps us breathe, sleep and regulates our heartbeat, the forebrain and midbrain, part of the hindbrain, are linked to higher-level thinking, such as language, consciousness and abstract reasoning.
The two parts of the brain were two distinct organs, developing independently of each other millions of years ago. This is similar to the jellyfish that have two nervous systems. Dr Kyle Loh, one of the authors of the study, said this is the first time they have shown that "the front of the brain arises from a totally different progenitor cell than the back of the brain."
The study started because of a problem scientists have faced for years. They have never been able to grow human hindbrain neurons in the lab, which has hindered research on brain stem diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). But generating forebrain cells hasn't been as difficult.
They decided to watch exactly how the brain takes shape when the baby is still developing. For this, they examined developing mouse embryos and found that the development pathway in the case of the hindbrain was completely separate from the other regions of the brain. They express a gene called Otx2 in the forebrain and midbrain, while in the hindbrain they express a gene called Gbx2.
Totally different packaging
They also found different forms of DNA packaging between the regions. Dr Loh said they can now "grow neurons from the back of the brain, the hindbrain, in a petri dish and study their functions." Co-author Dr Rayyan Jokhai noted that previous attempts likely failed because scientists "tried to coax forebrain and midbrain progenitors into hindbrain cells", which is impossible, as shown by the latest study.
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The discovery led the team to create functional hindbrain motor neurons in the laboratory for the first time. The breakthrough will help study diseases like spinal muscular atrophy and ALS, as they now "have a model to better understand these devastating diseases."
