A new structure in human cells has been discovered by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden in collaboration with colleagues in the UK. The structure is a new type of protein complex that the cell uses to attach to its surroundings and proves to play a key part in cell division. The study is published in the journal Nature Cell Biology. Continue reading “New human cell structure discovered”
Father’s nicotine use can cause cognitive problems in children and grandchildren
A father’s exposure to nicotine may cause cognitive deficits in his children and even grandchildren, according to a study in mice publishing on October 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Pradeep Bhide of Florida State University in Tallahassee and colleagues. The effect, which was not caused by direct secondhand exposure, may be due to epigenetic changes in key genes in the father’s sperm. Continue reading “Father’s nicotine use can cause cognitive problems in children and grandchildren”
Sensitive babies become altruistic toddlers
Our responsiveness to seeing others in distress accounts for variability in helping behavior from early in development, according to a study published September 25 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Tobias Grossmann of the University of Virginia, and colleagues. Continue reading “Sensitive babies become altruistic toddlers”
Prenatal stress changes brain connectivity in-utero
The time babies spend in the womb is far from idle. The brain is changing more rapidly during this time than at any other time in development. It is an active time for the fetus to grow and explore, and of course connect to its mother. And new evidence from in-utero fetal brain scans shows, for the first time, that this connection directly affects brain development: A mother’s stress during pregnancy changes neural connectivity in the brain of her unborn child. Continue reading “Prenatal stress changes brain connectivity in-utero”
Unexpected link between immune cells and male-female differences
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have made a surprising discovery: during fetal development, a particular immune cell seems to play a key role in determining the male or female characteristics of the brain. Continue reading “Unexpected link between immune cells and male-female differences”
Music ‘releases mood-enhancing chemical in the brain’
Music releases a chemical in the brain that has a key role in setting good moods, a study has suggested. Continue reading “Music ‘releases mood-enhancing chemical in the brain’”
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