Scientists Discover Brand New Part Of The Human Brain
A new membrane has been discovered in the human brain called the Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane, which helps with immunity for the body.
The age-old saying that we only use “10 percent of our brains” seems to have been proven true, now that scientists have discovered an entirely new part of the human brain. Apparently, there is now a new membrane that has been discovered by researchers at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Rochester. This new membrane is called the Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane, is only a few cell layers thick, and helps to protect the gray and white matter in the brain.
The Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane in the human brain also acts as the home for brain-specific immune cells and aids the glymphatic system, which helps in delivering waste from the body. This new membrane is the newest in the line of defense in the brain and is now the fourth known membrane, joining the already established three layers that separate brain fluid. The Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane joins the Dura mater, the Arachnoid mater, and the Pia mater.
Researchers have also discovered that the Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane acts as a barrier for molecules in the brain that are around the size of an extremely small protein. Initially, this membrane was tested and found in mice but has since been located in an adult human brain. Researchers also determined that the Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane being detected in the brain could be leading to its function of providing the function of the lymphatic (immune) vessels that the rest of the body possesses.
Møllgård and the team at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Rochester have found immune cells within the Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane such as the myeloid cells and macrophages. These cells were activated and changed when swelling occurred, and have been known to activate during the aging process. Both these cases were found to be true in the mice that were examined, and this could mean that this new membrane acts as a defense against harmful pathogens that would enter the brain (and the human brain).
The Subarachnoid Lymphatic-like Membrane in the human brain also mimics the same type of membrane like the mesothelial membrane, which lines our organs and encases the blood vessels and immune cells within. Based on that data, researchers have theorized that this new membrane is essentially the same lining that protects our organs but is protecting our brains instead. It is quite odd that this membrane has gone undiscovered for so long, but that could be because the technology to measure it was not exactly where it is now.
This puts an entirely new meaning to people that say one is “hard-headed,” and this new discovery in the human brain also indicates that there could be even more microscopic discoveries waiting to happen. Technology continues to get more advanced as the years pass, and there could be even more about the thinnest layers of the brain that has yet to be discovered. We would imagine that once scientists are able to unlock more than 10 percent of our brain usage, we are going to be discovering things that might frighten the public.
