Bridging cells to cognition: evolutionary adaptations in cortical microcircuits and their genetic correlates
Neurophysiologist Anna Galakhova investigated what biological properties make the human brain so special. Her research looked at the relationship between brain cells, genetics and human cognition - the ability to think, learn and create.
The research shows that human brains process information more efficiently than the brains of laboratory animals such as mice, which are often used in scientific research. According to Galakhova, this is due to evolutionary adaptations in the cerebral cortex, the cortex. Changes in individual brain cells allow the human brain to handle more complex tasks, such as drawing, composing music and thinking abstractly.
The differences are not only in the properties of individual cells, but also in how brain circuits are built and which genes are active in those cells. Because of this combination of cellular and genetic adaptations, the human brain functions as a particularly efficient "computer."
The research findings may contribute to a better understanding of how human intelligence originated and how brain disorders develop. In addition, the research provides new insights for the development of artificial intelligence and future neurological research.
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