The human brain is made up of billions of nerve cells (neurons) that communicate with each other in vast, interconnected networks. For the brain to function reliably, there must be a fine balance ...

Scientists have created the most detailed maps yet of how our brains differentiate from stem cells during embryonic development and early life. In a Nature collection including five papers published ...

To stay in balance, the brain depends on two types of neurons: Excitatory neurons (in white), which increase activity, and inhibitory neurons (in black), which damp down signals. Scientists have now ...

The rate of development of poikilothermic animals, such as insects, fish, and reptiles, is determined by environmental temperature. A research team has recently demonstrated how temperature can affect ...

Neurons are the cells in the brain responsible for sending messages to the rest of the body, and scientists have long thought that they are settled into one subtype once they develop from stem cells, ...

Researchers have created a protein that can detect the faint chemical signals neurons receive from other brain cells. By ...

William Wright receives funding from National Institutes of Health (NINDS) and the Schmidt Sciences. Takaki Komiyama receives funding from NIH, NSF, Simons Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and ...

Not all brain cells are found in the brain. For example, a team at Caltech has identified two distinct types of neurons in the abdomens of mice that appear to control different aspects of digestion.