Neurogenesis in the Human Brain

Nick Ciborowski

There is a common belief floating around amongst the people of our society today and it is that our brains do not recreate new brain cells throughout our lives. People believe that they have a set number of brain cells from when they are born and they will never regenerate over time. And while there has been no legitimate evidence (involving humans) to prove our bodies can produce new brain cells throughout our lives, there have been discoveries and theories recently, in the field of neurogenesis, that have been turning heads in the scientific community. Biologists like Michael Kaplan and Joseph Altman were among the first to explore the realm of possibility of neurogenesis in the brain.

Initially, it was discovered that neurogenesis occurred in the brains of birds and later on, mammals like monkeys. Experiments were performed on monkeys and they revealed that new neurons were formed in the cerebral cortex. The latter discovery made many scientists believe that neurogenesis could in fact occur in humans as well. Scientists believe that neurogenesis occurs more effectively under certain conditions. They think that exercise and an “enriched environment” encourage neurogenesis. However, there can be adverse effects on neurogenesis as well. High stress levels as well as aging are a few factors that can be detrimental to the neurogenesis process. So even though it is still an unclear what the future will hold in the field of neurogenesis, we do know that new discoveries are just beyond the horizon.