Are neurons enough?
CSC240
Kaori Ohi
Assignment# 2
Mystery of Neuron Legos
We know that neuron is a limited human memory which is created for a
finite number when you are born but not to be gained but either to be
surviving or
losing. This surviving is generally meant as using the nuerons, and there
are a lot
of discussion about information processings, "parallel" and "sequesntial",
approached from this surviving point. As a matter of fact, for instance, it
is
believed that there exists the parallel processing in visual information,
and all
information coming from eyes are processed at the same time, and that there
exists
the sequential processing in logical thoughts, and only one thought may be
processed at a time because there are not enough neurons in our brain for
each one
to hold a complete thought.
However, now, if I approach "parallel processing" and "sequential
processing" matters from the point of losing neurons, I notice that it
derives the
basic neuron_connection structure and implies the importance of synapses
freedom
in movement.
As the first of all the deriving processs, let's think of an example
of
"paralell processing". Suppose that I saw a creamy color building with a
little
stairs and 3 doors, and just passed by this building. Then I don't remember
what
the color it was, how many doors there are, or even wether the builing
exists after
some minutes. So, this phenomena can be described as a temporally
lighting_up
(activated) in each neuron in the brain. That means that the each neuron
could have
own single word such as creamy, color, stair, door, and building, and in the
moment of seeing the building, visual information activates all axons of
each
neuron. Therefore, the states for each neuron could be connecting
color_neuron
to creamy_neuron with sysnapses transmitting between the neurons (this
situation
still happens as parallel lightening_up), and building_neuron, stair_neuron
and
door_neuron might be individually activated. If I draw this in picture, it
would be
folloing. (* = nurons, \ = axon, ` = synapses, and ! = light_up for all
the
following picture):
!color * !building * !stair *
!door *
\ \ \
\
`
!creamy *
\
However, what if sequential processing of thinking of my own
bicycle, has
the same neurons holding each own word from the following thought?
"My bicycle is creamy color, costs $50, and has a scratch"
----------------(1)
Since there are a color_neuron_cell (here I call color_neuron as the same as
color_cell and apply this for rest of the names) and creamy_cell, activated
before
in paralell example in my brain, I must light-up my these same cells to
activate in
the same location. But this sentence should be still a one thought, and the
color_cell, creamy_cell, , $50_cell, and scratch_cell must be connecting to
each
other sequentially while creamy_cell and color_cell was connected and
activated
themselves individually in the previous situation. Therefore, this is said
that
"paralell processing" is activated as a part of "sequential processing".
The picture
could be the following.
!color * building * stair *
door *
\ \ \
\
` /
!creamy * * scratch !
\ `
` /
* $50 !
Now, consider a case that neuron is not surviving but losing. That
is, from
my experience, to give yourself a situation, ostracized from outside
environment
and withdrow your activities. When I was in junior high school in Japan, I
was a
class president and have been ostracized. I have been helping a classmate,
who
was ostracized by all other classmates, because the classroom teachers asked
me to
do. My possition in relationship was neutral among the ostracized girl, all
other
classmates, and teachers first, however, it turned me into a subject of
isolation
from and against all classmates including the ostracized girl I helped, with
some
little misunderstandings what I have done. Then, I have started not to
notice or
have attentions in anything, anyone in the school because I just wanted
protected
myself from hurting by misunderstandings "I am a bad girl" others believe.
Though this incidence was resolved in a couple of month, but I have
experienced
psychosomatic illness in mentally and physically. I have still been
experiencing
my abilities has been weakened and have difficulties to get it back as it
was in
study such as speedy math calculations which used to be something I was good
at.
From this idea, I can say that at least my neuron had not been
activated
during this inactive situation but it is ture that I can't prove wether my
neuron has
been decreased or deminished for some. But are my neurons after the
incidence
compensating to do things as I used to do?
With this background, let's consider the sentence (1) above. After
20 years,
I might not remember what the bicycle's cost was, and the scratch. But
this is still
true that I could suddenly remember what they were. So, these could be
pictured
that the $50_cell and scratch_cell were left alone or the connection between
those
cells are weakened as forgotten state and latter as suddenly_remembered
state.
Forgotten State Suddenly_Remembered
State
color * color *
\ \
` / `
/
creamy * * scratch creamy * *
scratch !
\
\ ?
/
? /
* $50
* $50
In another word, the stimulus, synapses between the cells, could have been
decreased, away, or dessapeared. But when you suddenly remembered, this
synapses could be or should be involved to connect to the other cell. Also,
if
during this forgotten state above, this scratch_cell might connect with
another cell,
for example, when I buy a car and saw a same scratch without having any
chance
to notice that the scratch is the same as the bicycle.
Then, the derived idea from two examples of processing, "parallel
model of
neurons process is a subgraph or a path of sequential model" can be more
derived
to the each neuron's ability to construct a new model by reconnection since
each
neurons could be disconnected and reconnected again. That means that the
graph
of paralell and sequential neurons should be constsist of each individual
neurons
which is actually regulated by the synapses.
Thus, this can be concluded that this mystery of synapses movement
of
freedom could be a interesting regulation while each neuron is trying to
survive by
holding other neurons with it, and the synapses might be the real controler
of
human's memory or information from the outside environment to come up from
brain including the paralell and sequential process reconstruction.