Thanks to advances in molecular biology, genetics, imaging tools, and computer power, neuroscience research is growing ever more subtle in detail, as witness the increased attention being paid by researchers to various aspects of neurotoxicity - particularly the role of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters in controlling the impact of signals on the brain.
Some neuroscience researchers specializing in this area have been focusing their attention on the interaction of proteins such as NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors, glutamate receptors, and quisqualate receptors in an effort to determine the extent to which the interaction determines the activation of short- and long-term memory.
In their explorations, the researchers hope to understand one of the most important pathways of the brain - a pathway that appears to play a major role not only in memory, but also in the pathogenesis of various neurologic diseases.
The accompanying chart - based on the Institute for Scientific Infor-...
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