The light reading version of this is:
Researchers may have discovered how memories are encoded in the brain
The original science article is actually open access though and can be read from the journal: Cytoskeletal Signaling: Is Memory Encoded in Microtubule Lattices by CaMKII Phosphorylation?(PDF on the right)
If you have a some college level biology and/or neurobiology under your belt, I recommend the science article because, even if you don't, wiki can help. The first few sections, before it goes into detail about the work done, are a good coverage of some of the most current ideas on memory storage.
(Disclaimer: I am not [neuro]biologist)
The run down is basically that, through atomic scanning and computer models they have a working model which shows that CaMKII kinase could potentially function as a 6 bit array and store information over a long term. They also demonstrate the ability in the article to do logic AND or XOR conditional operations on the array.
For those scratching your heads. CaMKII kinase is a protein structure that acts to guide phoposphates (ex: ATP, the fuel that runs cells in our body ) to specific enzyme substrates. So like rolling a battery into the correct port. CaMKII, if I follow this right, is basically the "block" that makes up most of the microtubules in many of our neurons. These microtubules sit in the space between inner cell wall and outer cell wall and hold the structure together. Prior research has suggested strongly that these structures can actually perform calculations and that they affect internal cell processes. In the neurons in the brain (primarily in the dendrites and synapse area in the case of memory) these structures don't under go change or reshaping in the same way their other bretherin in other parts of their body do so this also adds another bit/clue that they may be "storage house" for long term memories.
Much of this still needs more testing and support from other people but the results are quite profound if its true.
1) This could explain how instinctual memory is passed down. If the memories are tied up in certain (protein based) cytoskeletal structures; DNA could easily encode these structures as static and pass down the memories or bits of memory, to offspring. Such as how many animals are born knowing which predators to run from/hide from.
2) With more research into DNA and genetic engineering, we too may one day be able to encode and pass down memories to our kids. Imagine encoding the breadth of current mathematical and scientific knowledge into each new kid. They are conceived knowing the most current knowledge of the day. And when they finally get old enough to do anything (ie: think rationally), they can start hitting the hard problems of the day. They'll have cut out a significant chunk of what must be learned.
If you actually ARE biologist, please correct my earlier stuff if it happens to be incorrect.
Researchers may have discovered how memories are encoded in the brain
The original science article is actually open access though and can be read from the journal: Cytoskeletal Signaling: Is Memory Encoded in Microtubule Lattices by CaMKII Phosphorylation?(PDF on the right)
If you have a some college level biology and/or neurobiology under your belt, I recommend the science article because, even if you don't, wiki can help. The first few sections, before it goes into detail about the work done, are a good coverage of some of the most current ideas on memory storage.
(Disclaimer: I am not [neuro]biologist)
The run down is basically that, through atomic scanning and computer models they have a working model which shows that CaMKII kinase could potentially function as a 6 bit array and store information over a long term. They also demonstrate the ability in the article to do logic AND or XOR conditional operations on the array.
For those scratching your heads. CaMKII kinase is a protein structure that acts to guide phoposphates (ex: ATP, the fuel that runs cells in our body ) to specific enzyme substrates. So like rolling a battery into the correct port. CaMKII, if I follow this right, is basically the "block" that makes up most of the microtubules in many of our neurons. These microtubules sit in the space between inner cell wall and outer cell wall and hold the structure together. Prior research has suggested strongly that these structures can actually perform calculations and that they affect internal cell processes. In the neurons in the brain (primarily in the dendrites and synapse area in the case of memory) these structures don't under go change or reshaping in the same way their other bretherin in other parts of their body do so this also adds another bit/clue that they may be "storage house" for long term memories.
Much of this still needs more testing and support from other people but the results are quite profound if its true.
1) This could explain how instinctual memory is passed down. If the memories are tied up in certain (protein based) cytoskeletal structures; DNA could easily encode these structures as static and pass down the memories or bits of memory, to offspring. Such as how many animals are born knowing which predators to run from/hide from.
2) With more research into DNA and genetic engineering, we too may one day be able to encode and pass down memories to our kids. Imagine encoding the breadth of current mathematical and scientific knowledge into each new kid. They are conceived knowing the most current knowledge of the day. And when they finally get old enough to do anything (ie: think rationally), they can start hitting the hard problems of the day. They'll have cut out a significant chunk of what must be learned.
If you actually ARE biologist, please correct my earlier stuff if it happens to be incorrect.
Edited: 2012-03-23, 9:00 am
