Brain Cell Reproduction

[Stephen Maidment]

In article <41il80$okr$1 at mhafm.production.compuserve.com>, Greg Ryman <72760.1711 at CompuServe.COM> says:
>
>Most people believe that the brain can not heal and that brain 
>cells cannot reproduce.  I was wondering if anyone could tell me 
>when the brain develops and how.  Do the cells reproduce at some 
>point and then are unable to later?


Yes, in answer to your last question the neural cells do undergo a period
of proliferation after which they are unable to do so further. At this 
stage they are known as postmitotic and are unable to replicate. The glial
cells however retain their ability to undergo cell division throughout adult 
life and are responsible for such regeneration that does occur following trauma,
this is not so much a healing process as an exercise in damage limitation
since functional recovery is rare.
Hope this is of some little help.

Steve Maidment.