CNS cell signaling

Abstract

The science of neurobiology is now almost a century older than times when Spanish neuroanatomist and Nobel laureate Santiago Ramón y Cajal had wondered as above. Yet, these 'mysterious forces' have only been partially illuminated today and the posed question still remains worth pondering upon in contemporary times. What Cajal identified as 'forces' are basically key cellular signals that are transduced preceding growth and ramification. A precipitate of our knowledge today tells us that these 'forces' are mostly generated within and amongst members of the central nervous system (CNS). The present chapter is aimed at appreciating cellular signals and their transduction pathways which underlie the functional output of CNS during normal times, diseased conditions, and regeneration. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.