Snapshot of a memory being made
| June 26, 2009 | 5:24 PM
More journal entries from Cindy House »
Protein glows green as a memory is formed between brain cells. Photo by Kelsey Martin, et.al/Live Science
It isn’t the type of protein you eat, but it’s a protein nonetheless. And it forms between brain cells when your mind is processing something you want to remember long-term.
Scientists had suspected this was the case, but they didn’t have proof until they devised a way to differentiate “old” protein from newly made protein using ultraviolet light and sea-slug neurons. (Who knew? Sea-slug neurons apparently are a lot like the neurons of other creatures, including humans.)
The neurons were bathed in serotonin, a chemical that stimulates memory formation. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the new proteins glow green as they are formed, as seen in the photo here.
It’s the first time we’ve been able to see memories being formed at the microscopic level, and researchers would like to study the process further to better understand how the brain turns short-term memories (what you need to pick up at the grocery store) into long-term memories (the best birthday party you ever had).
Read more at livescience.com.
