American scientists from the California Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago have discovered that human muscles are capable of complex responses to various stimuli without involving the brain in the process. These reactions are similar to the working principles of simple neural networks. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature.
Previous research suggested that body cells respond to various changes through molecular circuits, similar to electronic circuits in technology. It was imagined like this: Some cells recognize the amount of salt and acid in the environment, others issue commands, others form protective structures or initiate mechanisms to eliminate unwanted compounds.
In the new study, scientists examined an alternative idea that all of these processes occur simultaneously in muscle cells. The process can be imagined using the example of a glass of water slowly freezing. First, a small piece of ice forms inside and this grows until it fills the entire container. In physics, this event is called nucleation.
Experts have found that nucleation can recognize and react to various chemical combinations, forming molecular compounds independently of the brain.
Scientists tested the reliability of muscle decision-making using DNA nanotechnology. The experiment showed that the molecular mixture will assemble into one of three structures depending on the concentration of various substances in the environment.
“We hope that this study will stimulate studies aimed at uncovering hidden ‘thinking’ capabilities in other multi-component systems that currently appear only to be muscles,” said lead author Professor Arvind Murugan.
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Source: Gazeta
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