Tag

Energy Allocation

All articles tagged with #energy allocation

neuroscience1 month ago•96 min saved

REM Sleep Reveals an Energy-Allocation Paradox in Brain Metabolism

Using wide-field imaging through the intact mouse skull, the study tracks brain blood volume, astrocytic pyruvate, and neuronal ATP across sleep states and finds that energy delivery and consumption are reorganized by brain state: during NREM, theta activity predicts subsequent BBV with anterior-to-posterior vascular waves, while REM sleep triggers a cortex-wide BBV surge and astrocytic pyruvate rise but a paradoxical drop in neuronal ATP. This dissociation suggests a state-dependent energy reallocation that prioritizes synaptic remodeling and memory-related processing over immediate ATP restoration, revealing a tripartite metabolic network (neurons, astrocytes, vasculature) that flexibly distributes substrates to meet distinct information-processing demands.

via Nature|

#astrocyte-neuron-interaction #brain-metabolism #energy-allocation

science2 months ago•13 min saved

Tiny coquí frogs trade growth for immune defense under fungal threat

Researchers from the University of Florida used field data and mathematical models to show how young coquí frogs balance growth and immune defense in the face of a deadly fungal pathogen. When infection is low, they grow quickly to reach maturity; as infection rises, they allocate more energy to fighting disease, slowing growth and delaying maturity. Seasonal timing also matters: warmer seasons boost food and infection risk, influencing survival and lifetime reproduction. The study highlights how pathogens cause hidden costs in development and has implications for conservation and captive release timing.

via The Conversation|

#amphibians #coqui #disease

evolutionary-psychology4 months ago•29 min saved

Extreme endurance tests reveal immune-first survival strategy in humans

A study of 147 ultra-endurance athletes across ultramarathons and ocean rowing provides experimental evidence for life history trade-offs in humans: under extreme energy deficit, the body prioritizes immune defense while suppressing energy storage and reproductive investment, with leptin and fat mass dropping, testosterone decreasing in men, and markers of tissue maintenance rising. Cortisol spikes and weight loss accompany these shifts, a pattern consistent across sexes and events, suggesting deep evolutionary roots in energy allocation during stress. The findings have implications for athletic training and public health, but may not generalize to non-athletes or chronic stress, and recovery dynamics across populations remain to be explored.

via PsyPost|

#energy-allocation #evolutionary-psychology #human-physiology

science2 years ago•3 min saved

"Brain Growth Linked to Energy Shift from Ovarian Follicles, Says Biologist"

Evolutionary biologist Mauricio González-Forero proposes that the significant growth of the human brain was facilitated by energy previously used to maintain ovarian follicles, which was freed up as humans evolved, allowing the brain to utilize more resources. His mathematical analysis suggests that the energy saved from reduced follicular maintenance matches the energy required for the brain's expansion.

via Phys.org|

#brain-growth #energy-allocation #evolutionary-biology

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Ovary Evolution Linked to Bigger Human Brains"

A new study by Mauricio González-Forero suggests that human brain expansion may have been driven by energy reallocation from ovarian follicle growth to brain development, rather than direct selection for larger brains. This theory challenges previous ideas that brain size increased due to social or ecological pressures, highlighting the role of reproductive constraints in human evolution.

via ScienceAlert|

#brain-development #energy-allocation #human-evolution