Everyone hates that one itch that you get randomly that just wont go away. Well scientists wanted to find out what causes it. They did multiple tests and found that a neurotransmitter molecule was the beginning of the nerve cell chain to the brain. This neurotransmitter tells you when you have an itch. This itch could be of many reasons. There are receptors in the skin that transmit a signal to a section of the spine called the dorsal horn. From there the signal goes to the brain.
The scientists decided to see what would happen if they blocked the receptors for that neurotransmitter. They found that mice which had the receptors blocked didn't scratch.
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Article link: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350630/description/A_molecular_window_on_itch
Nppb, a gene that produces a protein fragment called neuropeptide that neurons use to communicate with each other, does not appear to be an itch-specific messenger after all as studies show it is involved in sensing pain in the context of inflammation.
ReplyDeleteItching is a reflexive way to get rid of parasites or other dangers to the skin. It could be harmful to get rid of the gene.
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/23/first-stop-on-the-itch-express/