"This is what happiness really looks like: Molecules of the protein myosin drag a ball of endorphins along an active filament into the inner part of the brain's parietal cortex, which produces feelings of happiness."
I looked this up - that's indeed a molecular depiction of a protein, but it apparently depicts kinesin transporting a vesicle along a microtubule - kinesin are cool little workhorses that walk along inside of cells, bringing bits and pieces where they need to go. This little .gif is part of a video of a white blood cell attacking a pathogen and is a very cool piece of biochem. ( Harvard BioVisions video)
I suspect our brain chemistry looks a little more frantic than that sedate dancing along that the kinesin does... I'm sure our neurochemistry looks like balls of spiders because that's certainly what it FEELS LIKE some days.
I looked this up - that's indeed a molecular depiction of a protein, but it apparently depicts kinesin transporting a vesicle along a microtubule - kinesin are cool little workhorses that walk along inside of cells, bringing bits and pieces where they need to go. This little .gif is part of a video of a white blood cell attacking a pathogen and is a very cool piece of biochem. ( Harvard BioVisions video)
ReplyDeleteI suspect our brain chemistry looks a little more frantic than that sedate dancing along that the kinesin does... I'm sure our neurochemistry looks like balls of spiders because that's certainly what it FEELS LIKE some days.
Exactly!
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