Related topics: brain · genes · brain cells · neurons · neuroscientists

Do all animals sleep?

"Nothing is certain except for death and taxes," said Benjamin Franklin. Of course, he left out another certainty for humankind: sleep. All humans sleep, albeit some better than others. But do all animals sleep, too?

Chemists reveal how tau proteins form tangles

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. These tangles, made of tau proteins, impair neurons' ability to function normally and can cause the cells to die.

Studying primates to learn about the evolution of speech

Speech and language skills are unique to modern humans. While this ability evolved over millions of years, it is not possible to trace language in the fossil record because it leaves no direct imprint. Instead, re-examining ...

How a gene mutation leads to higher intelligence

When genes mutate, this can lead to severe diseases of the human nervous system. Researchers at Leipzig University and the University of Würzburg have now used fruit flies to demonstrate how, apart from the negative effect, ...

Cilia-free stem cells offer new path to study rare diseases

A group of rare diseases called "ciliopathies"—polycystic kidney disease notable among them—emerge from defects in cilia, the tiny hair-like structures on the surface of almost every cell type. But the specific molecular-level ...

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