Muscle-like systems show brain-free decision making in molecules

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Researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago have shown that human muscles can react to a range of stimuli without direct brain involvement. These responses resemble the basic operations of simple neural networks. The findings appear in Nature.

Earlier work suggested that cells in the body use molecular circuits to react to changes, much like electronic circuits in devices. The picture was that some cells detect salt and acidity, others send commands, some build protective barriers, and others trigger mechanisms to remove unwanted substances.

In the new study, scientists explored a different idea: that these processes can operate in parallel within muscle cells. The concept can be illustrated by imagining a glass of water gradually freezing. A small core of ice forms first and grows until it fills the container. In physics, this process is called nucleation.

The team discovered that nucleation can sense and respond to a variety of chemical combinations, creating molecular relationships without brain input.

To test how reliable muscle-like decision making is, researchers used DNA nanotechnology. The experiments showed that the molecular mix can assemble into one of three structures based on the surrounding concentrations of different substances.

Lead author Arvind Murugan commented that the study may prompt further work to reveal hidden thinking abilities in other multi-component systems that currently behave like muscles.

The study raises questions about how hormones might influence brain function during physical activity, pointing to a broader view of how signals in the body coordinate activity without direct cognitive control.

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