Home
Deutsch
Advanced Search
Browse by ...
Publication overview
Contact persons
Help
DOI
PMC
 |
|
Open Access Green as soon as Postprint is submitted to ZB.
The birth of the synapse.
Brain Struct. Funct. 222, 3369–3374 (2017)
It has long been held that the rise of neurons as a specialized cell type also marked the onset of the grand evolutionary journey for chemical synapses. Research over recent decades has shown, however, that the most dynamic chapters of synaptic history have been ‘written’ out of the context of neurobiology and neuronal evolution, dating back to the early metazoa and unicellular living forms. Here, I consider and discuss emerging evidence suggesting the exaptive origin of chemical synapses, via tinkering and neo-functionalization of already existent junctional morphologies and constituents of primeval paracrine signalling. Through combination and collateral use of long-established structures and functions, a remarkable enrichment of regulatory and control mechanisms of complex living organisms was achieved, without large-scale reorganization of the genome, with tremendous impact on the evolution and life on our planet.
Altmetric
Additional Metrics?
Edit extra informations
Login
Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Keywords
Chemical Synapse ; Exaptation ; Gap Junctions ; Synaptic Evolution; Electrical Synapses; Developing Neocortex; Neuronal Networks; Evolution; Diversity; System
ISSN (print) / ISBN
1863-2653
e-ISSN
1863-2661
Journal
Brain Structure & Function
Quellenangaben
Volume: 222,
Issue: 8,
Pages: 3369–3374
Publisher
Springer
Publishing Place
Berlin ; Heidelberg
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
Institute(s)
Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI)