Are You Feeling Ducky, Punk?
Friday, February 13, 2015 - 01:30
in Health & Medicine
Extreme mechano-sensitive neurons of tactile-foraging ducks fit the bill for touch research. When we reach out to touch something, our nervous system converts the mechanical input from our fingers contacting an object into an electrical signal in the brain. The process, known as mechanosensation, is one of our fundamental physiological processes, on par with sight and smell. But how it works on a cellular level remains poorly understood, holding back development of effective treatments for mechanosensory disorders like chronic pain. Now, a team of researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine has identified a new model organism that may help elucidate the cellular mechanisms behind mechanosensation: the ordinary duck. read more