r/neurobiology

The nervous system is directly and physically connected to every sensory organ. These sensory organs are primary inputs of the nervous system, this is evidence of a cognitive system built for environmental input processing.

If cognition were primarily internally generated you would not expect the brain's primary input architecture to be entirely outward-facing. But it is. Every sensory pathway runs from the environment inward. The direction of the wiring is further evidence of the direction of causation.

The alternative would require explaining how a self-generating cognitive system develops through natural selection prior to its sensory stimuli or any environment related rationalization.

The implication of this is simple; consicousness, subconsicous processing, emotion, all cognition exists to drive environmental processing, improving survival outcomes.

This has additional implications for consciousness theories, and theories of mind. My theory is built on concepts such as this.

Hello,

I'm about to apply for a
BSc in biological science at the Goethe University in Frankfurt and after I'd
like to go far a master degree in a specialized field like molecular biology or
molecular medicine for example. Probably I'd also go for the PhD, but that's
kind of hard to say for me now. What I'd like to know is if there's anyone who
started working after a degree in a biology related field abroad. I'm from
Germany and from what I've read chances in the US or Canada are way better
compared to here, especially if you don't go for a PhD. I KNOW biology is not
something you study for easy money, but Germany seems to be a great place to study,
but sucks a lot for working in science. I also considered trying to apply for a
PhD in Canada/USA later, but also that is hard to say for me now.

In general I have no problem with leaving Germany, if that gives me better chances to find a decent
job. Beside German I'm fluent in English and Korean, so South Korea would also
be an option, but I'm open for any abroad experience you have.

I am a high school student so keep that in mind before judging my rather simple question too much ;)

So I recently learned that even unmyelinated axons actually have a Schwann Cell wrapped around them. That made me think about where the ion channels must be in order for continuous signal conduction to happen.

Are there little holes inside in the membrane of the Schwann Cell for Ion Channels? Does the Schwann Cell not cover the whole surface? Or how else does it work?

I mean the axon somehow needs to have contact to the extracellular room for the ion exchange to occur.

I'd really appreciate some help!

The biological function of REM sleep remains one of the great mysteries of neuroscience. Most of neuroscientists have long assumed it’s about memory consolidation or emotional processing. But a recent paper proposes another explanation. The paper in question was published in Sleep Medicine X.

The author proposes that REM sleep evolved as a sentinel mechanism. His key argument is that the Sentinel Sleep Theory resolves the paradox of why we spend so much time in a state that looks like wakefulness but keeps us paralyzed.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this research.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleepx.2026.100186

I am just wondering whether is biologically possible for humans to count 2 different things at different frequencies. for example counting your heartbeat and time together ??