Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Neuroinflammation is widely regarded as chronic, as opposed to acute, inflammation of the central nervous system. [5] Acute inflammation usually follows injury to the central nervous system immediately, and is characterized by inflammatory molecules, endothelial cell activation, platelet deposition, and tissue edema. [6]
The key cellular components of the neuroimmune system are glial cells, including astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. [1] [2] [5] Unlike other hematopoietic cells of the peripheral immune system, mast cells naturally occur in the brain where they mediate interactions between gut microbes, the immune system, and the central nervous system as part of the microbiota–gut–brain axis.
The cells of the brain include neurons and supportive glial cells. There are more than 86 billion neurons in the brain, and a more or less equal number of other cells. Brain activity is made possible by the interconnections of neurons and their release of neurotransmitters in response to nerve impulses.
The human brain requires nutrients obtained from the diet to develop and sustain its physical structure and cognitive functions. [1] [3] [4] Additionally, the brain requires caloric energy predominately derived from the primary macronutrients to operate. [1] [4] The three primary macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Neuroinflammation is distinct from inflammation in other organs, but does include some similar mechanisms such as the localized production of chemoattractant molecules to the site of inflammation. [2] The following list contains a few of the numerous substances that are secreted when microglia are activated:
Brain cells make up the functional tissue of the brain. The rest of the brain tissue is the structural stroma that includes connective tissue such as the meninges , blood vessels , and ducts. The two main types of cells in the brain are neurons , also known as nerve cells, and glial cells , also known as neuroglia. [ 1 ]
Brain healing is the process that occurs after the brain has been damaged. If an individual survives brain damage, the brain has a remarkable ability to adapt. When cells in the brain are damaged and die, for instance by stroke, there will be no repair or scar formation for those cells.
Neuroplasticity is the process by which neurons adapt to a disturbance over time, and most often occurs in response to repeated exposure to stimuli. [27] Aerobic exercise increases the production of neurotrophic factors [note 1] (e.g., BDNF, IGF-1, VEGF) which mediate improvements in cognitive functions and various forms of memory by promoting blood vessel formation in the brain, adult ...