Lotus in Lamina

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Damiana Kunzite

♀

I will provide a brief science explanation for this character who is classified as Laminae IV

Lamina IV has a more heterogeneous mix of cell sizes, including both large and small cells adjacent to each other. Lamina IV also extends laterally, without the bend present in the first three laminae

Also involved in processing vibration and pressure touch sensations and carrying conscious proprioceptive information to the cerebral cortex

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Damiana‘s Design

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Dorsal Horn

The dorsal horn contains various types of neurons, including primary afferent fibers

projection neurons:

a type of neuron in the central nervous system (CNS) that transmit information to distant regions of the brain or spinal cord

They have long axons

the function of axons is to carry electrical impulses that are the means of communication within the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body

that extend from their cell bodies to distant targets

Their axons project to areas outside the structure they originate from, unlike interneurons which project locally within the same structure

Spinoparabrachial projection neurons:

a type of spinal cord neuron that project to the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) in the brain

SPBNs receive input from other neurons in the spinal cord, including

Neurotransmitters can be either excitatory or inhibitory, with excitatory neurotransmitters promoting nerve firing and inhibitory ones reducing it

excitatory

Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, playing a crucial role in learning and memory

Acetylcholine is excitatory at the neuromuscular junction, causing muscle contractions

Norepinephrine and dopamine are also excitatory, with roles in arousal, alertness, and motivation

Norepinephrine acts as both a neurotransmitter, transmitting signals between nerve cells, and a hormone, influencing bodily functions

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body that allow neurons (nerve cells) to communicate with each other and other cells. They transmit signals, or messages, across the synapse, the tiny gap between neurons or between neurons and other cells

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain, often called the "feel-good" hormone, involved in the reward system, motivation, and movement

Other excitatory neurotransmitters include

serotonin:

Serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid

a polar aromatic amino acid:

Tyrosine (Tyr):

Contains a hydroxyl group (-OH) on its aromatic ring, allowing it to participate in hydrogen bonding

Tryptophan (Trp):

Has a complex indole ring structure that includes a nitrogen atom, making it polar and capable of hydrogen bonding

the precursor to serotonin and melatonin. Its structure consists of an α-amino group:

an α-carboxylic acid group

and a unique indole side chain

making it a polar molecule

with a non-polar aromatic beta carbon substituent

epinephrine:

Epinephrine is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone, but it acts mainly as a hormone. Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, plays an important role in your body's fight-or-flight response

histamine:

Histamine is released by mast cells and basophils in response to allergens, pathogens, or injury, triggering an immune response

glycine:

Glycine is a key inhibitory neurotransmitter, particularly in the spinal cord and brainstem, playing a crucial role in motor and sensory functions. It also contributes to the function of excitatory neurotransmitter:

NMDA receptors:

a glutamate receptor and a crucial ion channel in neurons. It plays a significant role in synaptic plasticity, memory formation, and learning

particularly during development

Excitatory neurotransmitters, like glutamate, bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron's membrane, triggering depolarization and increasing the likelihood of an action potential

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

inhibitory interneurons:

Inhibitory interneurons are neurons that release inhibitory neurotransmitters

Inhibitory neurotransmitters are chemicals that reduce the likelihood of a nerve cell firing and sending signals. These neurotransmitters act as "off switches," calming the nervous system and preventing excessive stimulation

primarily GABA, to suppress the activity of other neurons

GABA reduces neuronal excitability and can produce a calming, relaxing sensation

GABA is involved in controlling nerve cell activity, particularly those associated with anxiety, stress, and fear

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Corticofugal projection neurons:

They connect the cerebral cortex to subcortical areas, forming tracts like the corticothalamic, corticostriatal, corticorubral, corticotectal, corticobulbar, and corticospinal tracts

Callosal projection neurons:

also known as interhemispheric commissural pyramidal neurons, are specialized neurons that connect the two cerebral hemispheres via the corpus callosum, the largest white-matter tract 

Modulatory projection neurons:

a type of neuron that extends axons to distant regions of the central nervous system (CNS) and exert modulatory (metabotropic) effects on target neurons, often alongside more traditional (ionotropic) actions

associative projection neurons:

neurons that project their axons within the same hemisphere to connect different cortical areas

commissural projection neurons:

Commissural projection neurons establish connections between the two sides of the brain, allowing for communication and coordination between them

corticofugal projection neurons:

are involved in the formation of several important brain circuits, including the corticothalamic, corticostriatal, corticorubral, corticotectal, corticobulbar, and corticospinal tracts

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

peripheral sensory neurons

a type of neuron that detects stimuli in the body and transmits them to the central nervous system. 

These neurons are located in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and play a crucial role in various bodily functions, including sensing external stimuli, maintaining homeostasis, and even regulating the immune system

Primary afferent fibers: These neurons receive sensory input from the body

They receive sensory information from various receptors in the body:

mechanoreceptors

sensory receptors that respond to mechanical stimuli

Cutaneous Mechanoreceptors: 

These are located in the skin and include:

Meissner's corpuscles:

specialized nerve endings in the skin, responsible for detecting fine touch, low-frequency vibrations, and the sensation of flutter

They are rapidly adapting receptors, meaning they respond best to changes in stimulus rather than sustained pressure

Pacinian corpuscles:

Pacinian corpuscles are rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors that detect vibration and deep pressure

Merkel's disks:

They are composed of Merkel cells and associated Aβ-afferent nerve endings

Ruffini's corpuscles:

encapsulated nerve endings

thermoreceptors

Thermoreceptors help the body regulate its temperature by sending information about the surrounding temperature to the brain's hypothalamus, which acts as the body's "thermostat"

nociceptors

specialized sensory nerve endings that detect potentially harmful stimuli, alerting the brain to the risk of injury or damage and initiating pain perception

chemoreceptors

specialized sensory cells that detect and respond to chemical stimuli in the environment or within the body, triggering a response

Peripheral Chemoreceptors:

Found in the carotid bodies and aortic arch, these receptors primarily detect changes in blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH. They send signals to the brainstem to regulate breathing and blood pressure

Central Chemoreceptors:

Located in the brainstem, these receptors respond to changes in the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the cerebrospinal fluid, effectively detecting changes in blood carbon dioxide

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Interneurons

connecting primary afferent fibers to projection neurons

They outnumber both sensory and motor neurons

They act as a "middleman" between sensory neurons (afferent) and motor neurons (efferent), and also connect to other interneurons, forming intricate neural circuits

𖤓

Damiana In Lamina

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Neroli Quicksilver

♀

I will provide a brief science explanation for this character who is classified as Laminae V

Lamina V neurons are involved in processing sensory afferents from nociceptors (pain receptors)

Lamina V is characterized by its diversity, with ten different neuron types and extensive dendritic interconnections

Within Lamina V, there are two distinct zones: the lateral zone with darkly staining cells and the medial zone with lighter cells

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Neroli‘s Design

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Dorsal Horn

The dorsal horn contains various types of neurons, including primary afferent fibers

projection neurons:

a type of neuron in the central nervous system (CNS) that transmit information to distant regions of the brain or spinal cord

They have long axons

the function of axons is to carry electrical impulses that are the means of communication within the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body

that extend from their cell bodies to distant targets

Their axons project to areas outside the structure they originate from, unlike interneurons which project locally within the same structure

Spinoparabrachial projection neurons:

a type of spinal cord neuron that project to the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) in the brain

SPBNs receive input from other neurons in the spinal cord, including

Neurotransmitters can be either excitatory or inhibitory, with excitatory neurotransmitters promoting nerve firing and inhibitory ones reducing it

excitatory

Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, playing a crucial role in learning and memory

Acetylcholine is excitatory at the neuromuscular junction, causing muscle contractions

Norepinephrine and dopamine are also excitatory, with roles in arousal, alertness, and motivation

Norepinephrine acts as both a neurotransmitter, transmitting signals between nerve cells, and a hormone, influencing bodily functions

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body that allow neurons (nerve cells) to communicate with each other and other cells. They transmit signals, or messages, across the synapse, the tiny gap between neurons or between neurons and other cells

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain, often called the "feel-good" hormone, involved in the reward system, motivation, and movement

Other excitatory neurotransmitters include

serotonin:

Serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid

a polar aromatic amino acid:

Tyrosine (Tyr):

Contains a hydroxyl group (-OH) on its aromatic ring, allowing it to participate in hydrogen bonding

Tryptophan (Trp):

Has a complex indole ring structure that includes a nitrogen atom, making it polar and capable of hydrogen bonding

the precursor to serotonin and melatonin. Its structure consists of an α-amino group:

an α-carboxylic acid group

and a unique indole side chain

making it a polar molecule

with a non-polar aromatic beta carbon substituent

epinephrine:

Epinephrine is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone, but it acts mainly as a hormone. Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, plays an important role in your body's fight-or-flight response

histamine:

Histamine is released by mast cells and basophils in response to allergens, pathogens, or injury, triggering an immune response

glycine:

Glycine is a key inhibitory neurotransmitter, particularly in the spinal cord and brainstem, playing a crucial role in motor and sensory functions. It also contributes to the function of excitatory neurotransmitter:

NMDA receptors:

a glutamate receptor and a crucial ion channel in neurons. It plays a significant role in synaptic plasticity, memory formation, and learning

particularly during development

Excitatory neurotransmitters, like glutamate, bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron's membrane, triggering depolarization and increasing the likelihood of an action potential

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

inhibitory interneurons:

Inhibitory interneurons are neurons that release inhibitory neurotransmitters

Inhibitory neurotransmitters are chemicals that reduce the likelihood of a nerve cell firing and sending signals. These neurotransmitters act as "off switches," calming the nervous system and preventing excessive stimulation

primarily GABA, to suppress the activity of other neurons

GABA reduces neuronal excitability and can produce a calming, relaxing sensation

GABA is involved in controlling nerve cell activity, particularly those associated with anxiety, stress, and fear

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Corticofugal projection neurons:

They connect the cerebral cortex to subcortical areas, forming tracts like the corticothalamic, corticostriatal, corticorubral, corticotectal, corticobulbar, and corticospinal tracts

Callosal projection neurons:

also known as interhemispheric commissural pyramidal neurons, are specialized neurons that connect the two cerebral hemispheres via the corpus callosum, the largest white-matter tract 

Modulatory projection neurons:

a type of neuron that extends axons to distant regions of the central nervous system (CNS) and exert modulatory (metabotropic) effects on target neurons, often alongside more traditional (ionotropic) actions

associative projection neurons:

neurons that project their axons within the same hemisphere to connect different cortical areas

commissural projection neurons:

Commissural projection neurons establish connections between the two sides of the brain, allowing for communication and coordination between them

corticofugal projection neurons:

are involved in the formation of several important brain circuits, including the corticothalamic, corticostriatal, corticorubral, corticotectal, corticobulbar, and corticospinal tracts

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

peripheral sensory neurons

a type of neuron that detects stimuli in the body and transmits them to the central nervous system. 

These neurons are located in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and play a crucial role in various bodily functions, including sensing external stimuli, maintaining homeostasis, and even regulating the immune system

Primary afferent fibers: These neurons receive sensory input from the body

They receive sensory information from various receptors in the body:

mechanoreceptors

sensory receptors that respond to mechanical stimuli

Cutaneous Mechanoreceptors: 

These are located in the skin and include:

Meissner's corpuscles:

specialized nerve endings in the skin, responsible for detecting fine touch, low-frequency vibrations, and the sensation of flutter

They are rapidly adapting receptors, meaning they respond best to changes in stimulus rather than sustained pressure

Pacinian corpuscles:

Pacinian corpuscles are rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors that detect vibration and deep pressure

Merkel's disks:

They are composed of Merkel cells and associated Aβ-afferent nerve endings

Ruffini's corpuscles:

encapsulated nerve endings

thermoreceptors

Thermoreceptors help the body regulate its temperature by sending information about the surrounding temperature to the brain's hypothalamus, which acts as the body's "thermostat"

nociceptors

specialized sensory nerve endings that detect potentially harmful stimuli, alerting the brain to the risk of injury or damage and initiating pain perception

chemoreceptors

specialized sensory cells that detect and respond to chemical stimuli in the environment or within the body, triggering a response

Peripheral Chemoreceptors:

Found in the carotid bodies and aortic arch, these receptors primarily detect changes in blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH. They send signals to the brainstem to regulate breathing and blood pressure

Central Chemoreceptors:

Located in the brainstem, these receptors respond to changes in the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the cerebrospinal fluid, effectively detecting changes in blood carbon dioxide

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Interneurons

connecting primary afferent fibers to projection neurons

They outnumber both sensory and motor neurons

They act as a "middleman" between sensory neurons (afferent) and motor neurons (efferent), and also connect to other interneurons, forming intricate neural circuits

𖤓

Neroli In Lamina

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Azalea Stone

♂

I will provide a brief science explanation for this character who is classified as Laminae VI

Lamina VI plays a role in the flexion reflex, a spinal reflex that allows withdrawal from painful stimuli

It receives information from muscle spindles, which are sensory receptors that detect muscle length and movement

It works in conjunction with other laminae, particularly lamina VIII, to coordinate spinal reflexes

It relays information from muscle spindles and other sensory receptors to the brain via spinocerebellar tracts

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Azalea In Lamina

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Rue Musk

♂

I will provide a brief science explanation for this character who is classified as Laminae VII

Laminae VII, also known as the intermediomedial nucleus or intermediolateral nucleus

Acts as a relay station for sensory information from other laminae

Contains interneurons and propriospinal neurons that help mediate reflexes and transmit signals within the spinal cord

Plays a role in visceral motor function, particularly in the thoracic and upper lumbar regions

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Rue In Lamina

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Senna Verbena

♂

I will provide a brief science explanation for this character who is classified as Laminae VIII

Contains interneurons and projection neurons

It influences the activity of gamma motor neurons, which innervate intrafusal muscle fibers (muscle spindles)

Receives input from various tracts, including the vestibulospinal and reticulospinal tracts

Projects to motoneurons on both the same and opposite sides of the spinal cord

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Senna In Lamina

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────

Magnolia Saffron

♀

I will provide a brief science explanation for this character who is classified as Laminae IX

Lamina IX is not a true lamina. It is a set of columns in the lamina VII and VIII

The cells have an abundance of Nissl substance

Lamina IX houses collections of motor neurons, including alpha and gamma motor neurons

Contains Alpha Motor Neurons and Gamma Motor Neurons

──── ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:· ────