Talk:Cellular memory
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[edit] My
My immediate impression of this article is spirituality being passed off as science. SpaceCaptain 22:36, 16 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Mindshock
There was a TV program on Channel 4 in the UK tonight that dealt with this issue. It was part of the Mindshock series -
http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/W/who_gets_the_heart/index.html
Interesting facts I gleaned from the program :-
5-10% of heart transplant patients report significant personality/tastes/abilities alterations
Experiments show the heart reacts faster to emotional stimuli than the brain
The heart, when transplanted, starts beating automatically as soon as it's 'plugged in'
The heart has a complex neural network throughout it's structure, including neurons (brain cells)
Food for thought
Some digestion of your food for thought. I am trying to help dispel non-scientific beliefs regarding organ transplantation.
5-10% of heart transplant patients report significant personality/tastes/abilities alterations
The patients previously had been very ill with heart disease and now they aren't. Obviously this will have a positive effect on personality and abilities.
Experiments show the heart reacts faster to emotional stimuli than the brain
By definition, a stimulus is not "emotional" unless it it perceived by the brain. But yes, the entire body including the endocrine system, spinal cord, brain, and heart, are involved in emotional reactions. A couple good places to start are the Fight-or-flight response and the brain's limbic system. It's an ancient myth that the heart is the seat of the emotions.
The heart, when transplanted, starts beating automatically as soon as it's 'plugged in'
Basic anatomy tells us that the heart is its own pacemaker and beats automatically. The brain merely regulates its rate. See Heart#Regulation of the Cardiac Cycle.
The heart has a complex neural network throughout it's structure, including neurons (brain cells)
Yes, like all other organs in the body, it has a complex network of neurons in it. No, all neurons are not brain cells; only the ones in the brains are; otherwise they are called "nerves". However, in heart transplant surgery, the nerves to the heart are severed and not reattached [1]. Although they can very occasionally regrow [2], in most cases there ends up being no direct connection between heart and brain post-transplant.
Hope this helps.Derek Balsam 15:51, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
- A remarkable number of people who undergo bypass surgery (which involves only their own tissues) report changes in personality/tastes/abilities, too. It's major surgery, and the heart-lung machines aren't perfect by any means. I'm not aware of any reason to believe that the rates are significantly different for "cutting out your heart and sticking it back in again" vs. "cutting out your heart and sticking in someone else's." WhatamIdoing (talk) 07:16, 11 December 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Media portrayal
"In The Eye with Jessica Alba. Also in the video game Assassin's Creed. Scientist's try to unlock clues using the protagonist's cellular memory of his ancestor." We need to delete this. This is very poorly written and unnecessary. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.37.71.13 (talk) 05:31, 22 January 2008 (UTC)
