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From: eddy@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Sean Eddy)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.med,comp.ai,sci.misc
Subject: Re: Neurons can't regenerate? (was: Re: Taking AI models...)
Message-ID: <1356@sigi.Colorado.EDU>
Date: Sun, 14-Jun-87 12:37:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: sigi.1356
Posted: Sun Jun 14 12:37:31 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jun-87 21:12:26 EDT
References: <622@unicus.UUCP> <1331@sigi.Colorado.EDU> <1349@sigi.Colorado.EDU> <1757@ttrdc.UUCP>
Sender: news@sigi.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: eddy@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Sean Eddy)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Lines: 26
Xref: mnetor sci.bio:442 sci.med:2441 comp.ai:544 sci.misc:352

In article <1757@ttrdc.UUCP> levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) writes:
>In article <1349@sigi.Colorado.EDU>, (Sean Eddy) writes:
>> ...there are cells that do not
>> divide after a certain point, yet still age and die. Neurons are the
>> classic example; not only do they not divide, they cannot even
>> be replaced (in humans) if damaged.
>
>Am I misinformed, then, when I hear about nerves growing back together in
>people who have an accidentally severed appendage surgically reattached?
>Also, what about the nerves which grow back into a wounded region of the
>body, say an area of burned flesh?

"Nerves growing back together" is different from neurons being
replaced. You can sever an axon and the the part of the axon
still attached to the cell body will regrow and form new
attachments, usually in the right way. But if you destroy the cell
body, end of story. To my knowledge, the cell bodies themselves
are not replaceable (yet; it would be nice if we could find
a way).


- Sean Eddy
- MCD Biology; U. of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO 80309
- eddy@boulder.colorado.EDU		!{hao,nbires}!boulder!eddy	
- 
- Go Celtics!o