New nerve cells - even in old age
After birth the brain looses many nerve cells and this continues throughout life - most neurones are formed before birth, after which many excess neurones degenerate. However, there are some cells that are still capable of division in old age - in the brains of mice, at least. According to scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology in Freiburg, different types of neuronal stem cells exist that can create new neurones. While they divide continuously and create new neurones in young animals, a large proportion of the cells in older animals persist in a state of dormancy. However, the production of new cells can be reactivated, for example, through physical activity or epileptic seizures. What happens in mice could also be applicable to humans as neurones that are capable of dividing also occur in the human brain into adulthood...