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NEUROBIOLOGIA

Cómo darle forma a nuestro cerebro: Moldeando la corteza cerebral

© Guillermina López-Bendito , 2004  
guillermina.lopez-bendito@anat.ox.ac.uk

[RESUMEN]ABSTRACT

  The mammalian brain is the most fascinating and complex organ ever studied. Around 100 billion cells, named neurons, are organized in an immense network of connections through which the information from the environment is processed. Interestingly, most of these connections are establish at early stages, embryonic stages, of our development. The factors involved in its correct formation are believed to be a combination of intrinsic (genetic) factors, and extrinsic signals from the environment. One of the most laborious and important connexions that our brain forms is the one that occurs between the thalamus, the relay nucleus of most of the sensory inputs, and the cerebral cortex, where this information is processed. Localized far away from each other, these two regions have to establish precise and controlled connexions. At the same time, the cerebral cortex is divided into distinct anatomical and functional areas whose functions are to process different sensory modalities. In this regionalization event, genetic and epigenetic factors seem to be involved as well. Some of the mechanisms by which these processes happen are discussed below.