The Brain Is An Ever Elusive Thing - 991 Words

The brain is an ever-elusive thing. There are so many mysteries still waiting to be discovered or unlocked. Memory seemed an appropriate topic for this class as it is a necessity to completing it successfully. This research paper will explain how the brain uses synapses to store certain memories while others may be lost and how proteins play a major role in this process and could be the answer to solving memory problems in the future. To start, it is important to understand how memory storage occurs. After a series of experiments conducted from 1958-2000, by Dr. Eric R Kandel and numerous colleagues, using a radical reductionist approach, he found evidence for several theories. First, our research suggests that the cellular and molecular†¦show more content†¦Based on his first conclusion, when it comes to short term memories, synaptic connections in the brain are modified by small changes in proteins. Long term memories require that new proteins be formed, gene expression be stimulated and new connections be synthesized. Implicit memory is a type of memory in which previous experiences aid the performance of a task without conscious awareness of these previous experiences. Explicit memory is the conscious, intentional recollection of previous experiences and information. Storing of implicit and explicit memories can follow different processes. Different signaling is necessary when storing implicit memories vs. explicit memories in the short-term. However, the storage of implicit and explicit memories in the long-term, follows the same specific signaling pathway. Based on his second conclusion, different modularity transmitters are used depending on which type of learning you are engaged in. These transmitters act in several different ways. They can either activate, regulate, or mediate. If they activate, they trigger the enzyme kinase, which then reports to the nucleus to aid in the growth of neurons and long-term memory. If they regulate, they monitor protein synthesis that is required in order to stabilize the synapses for long-term storage. Finally, mediation is the least understood process. What is known, is that it is necessary in recollecting specific memories and memory production.