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The 'Other Brain'

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Department: 
Brain Science
Teaser: 

"Glia, in contrast to neurons, are brain cells that do not generate electrical impulses, and there are a lot of them--85 percent of the cells in the brain. Yet, these cells have been largely neglected for 100 years. I call this new frontier of neuroscience "The Other Brain," because we are only now beginning to explore it."

Link: 

Glia: The new frontier in brain science

Source: 

Scientific American Download time: Nov 5 2010 8:07 AM ET

The current issue of the journal Science (Noember 5) marks a turning point in research on the brain. This event is fascinating not only for the wealth of new information about how the brain functions and how it fails in mental and neurological illness, but equally as a rare display of a field of science changing course. Such transitions are the lore of scientific history, but rarely do we have the opportunity to witness such pivotal moments in real time.

The journal Science is a premier international journal covering all areas of science, and this issue contains a special