Thread

Two parallel neural ectoderm progenitors contribute to the developing brain

664 points · 258 comments · emigre

itvision · 1789800711 · 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&#x27;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. jimnotgym · 1789808963 · focus · HN ↗
  I don't have a problem with the 'two organs making one' framing. The fact that they are 'symbiotic' now doesn't change that. In fact it helps me understand two key facts. One can't grow out of the other, and they work differently. Great
  1. ChrisMarshallNY · 1789812798 · focus · HN ↗
    The Portuguese Man o’ War[0] is a symbiotic organism. If you want to get technical, I guess we are, as well. We’re really kind of fascinating meatbags.
    [0] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war
    smt88 · 1789829358 · focus · HN ↗
    We are absolutely symbiotic from our cells upward. A large percentage of your body mass is bacteria, including the symbiotic bacteria you feed in your gut with the food you think you’re eating only for yourself.
    nephihaha · 1789893538 · focus · HN ↗
    Recent research has suggested that viruses supply us with a second immune system. These viruses keep down the numbers of bacteria and other microbes in our gut etc
    We are so used to reading negative things about viruses that it makes a change to find out how they can benefit us too.

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