Ask a Teacher



Neurons cannot divide.But then how are they formed and where?

Yes neurons cannot divide.
It is said that neurons cannot divide. Then how and where are new neurons formed? It wasn't until the 1990's that scientists accepted the idea of neurogenesis in mammalian brains and discovered newborn neurons not just in the brains of rats but in the brains of people too.

Neurogenesis does not occur everywhere in the brain but is evident in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb and perhaps in the cerebral cortex. New neurons are born not from mature nerve cells but rather develop from neural stem cells that remain in our brains throughout life. Indeed, in some brain areas, there is continual turnover of neurons - old ones die and new ones are born - and these new neurons can participate in circuits that underlie learning.
Physical exercise also increases the number of newborn neurons. But some conditions, such as excessive stress and depression, hamper the growth of newborn nerve cells.Extensive research is going on.


comments powered by Disqus