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Two parallel neural ectoderm progenitors contribute to the developing brain

664 points · 258 comments · emigre

  1. itvision · · focus · HN ↗
    What a way to oversell the discovery.

    The reality is:

        * Different brain regions have different functions: ancient knowledge.
    * Different regions contain distinct cell types and molecular programs: also well established.
    * Anterior and posterior brain structures may trace back to fundamentally separate progenitor lineages that were independently specified very early in evolution and development: that's the interesting new result.
    The headline should have been: "Human forebrain and hindbrain arise from distinct embryonic progenitor lineages" - not that we have "two organs" in the brain.
    1. sandeepkd · · focus · HN ↗
      Though I agree with the detailed differentiation, still for the headline purpose a generic one that resonates with people easily isn't a bad choice
      1. TeMPOraL · · focus · HN ↗
        I think "Human brain evolved from two separate organs" would've been more accurate and sufficiently simple/short for a headline, but I guess it won't fly either due to political reasons.
        1. HelloImSteven · · focus · HN ↗
          But the evolution isn’t necessarily the important part, it’s the two parts having separate development processes in modern day humans that is notable.
          1. TeMPOraL · · focus · HN ↗
            You mean like, "assembled from two separate components"?
            1. sdenton4 · · focus · HN ↗
              More like, they are two separate components, with some interwiring. Components, which we might also call organs. Two of them.
              1. TeMPOraL · · focus · HN ↗
                My objection is with the word "organs", which for everyone except maybe biologists and doctors (depending on the specialist definition of "organ") connote the developed piece of machinery inside a living thing. Not the transient state while it's still gestating.
                1. sdenton4 · · focus · HN ↗
                  Organs are all interconnected as well. The hind brain and fore brain take on different tasks, as we've known for ages. I don't really have a problem calling them different organs.
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