From info from noster-it.com Sat Nov 29 08:49:45 2008 From: info from noster-it.com (Dokorek) Date: Sat Nov 29 13:57:50 2008 Subject: [Celegans] Beyond Recognizing Odors, Single Neuron Controls Reactions In Worm Message-ID: Babies will smile when they catch the scent of vanilla, but a whiff of rotting meat will send them into fits. From people to mice and flies to worms, animals of all kinds are born with likes and dislikes thanks to the evolutionary wisdom collected in their genes. But new research shows that some preferences are still surprisingly flexible at even the most basic level — that of the sensory neuron itself — and that our nervous system may be even more adaptable than we thought. “When you’re out hiking, you’ll notice that everything tastes really delicious. That’s one of the best parts about hiking, actually, is how delicious a peanut butter and raisin sandwich can be,” says Cori Bargmann, Torsten N. Wiesel Professor and head of the Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior at The Rockefeller University. “Conversely, when you are ill, everything tastes bad; everything makes you nauseous. The question is: What is changing to allow the same individual to respond to the same stimulus in different ways?” Dokorek -------------- Portal to share biological information-data between people http://biospace.ethz.ch