Ubuchopho bomuntu ongaphezu komuntu: Amandla esikhathi esizayo ama-dendrites

Sonke sizwile ngaleyo trope evame ukusetshenziswa ukuthi thina bantu besisebenzisa kuphela ingxenye encane yamandla ethu obuchopho atholakalayo-ukuthi kufika kumaphesenti angamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye empunga yethu ayisetshenziswa. Lokhu kuye kwaholela ekuqageleni okuningi kokuthi lokhu kungabonakala kanjani—kusuka ekwandeni okungase kube khona kobuhlakani kuye ekutholeni ulwazi ngocingo—kanye nokuthola izindlela zokuvula leli phesenti okuthiwa lithule. 

Esikhathini esedlule, izazi zemizwa nososayensi bezinzwa bakuphikisa lokhu njengenganekwane yasemadolobheni (bona lapha). 'Inganekwane yamaphesenti ayishumi' (phakathi kwezinye eziqhubekayo Ukugomela) yenziwa yangasebenza ukuqonda kwethu okwandayo kokuthi amangqamuzana obuchopho bethu akhiwe kanjani, nokuthi asebenza kanjani. Kodwa kuthiwani uma ngempela bekungenzeka ukuthi ubuchopho bungasebenza kakhulu kunalokho ebesikucabanga? Futhi ukuze ngempela singene kulo mandla angasetshenziswa, ngokubheka kwenye indawo? 

Sekuyisikhathi eside sathola ukuthi amandla esenzo noma izinzwa zemizwa zisuka emzimbeni we-neuron noma iseli yezinzwa; lawa ma-impulses abe esedluliselwa ku-neuron elandelayo, engase ibe nomlilo njalo njalo. Ososayensi eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia Los Angeles esikhundleni waqala ukubuka izakhi eziphuma engqamuzaneni yezinzwa ebizwa ngokuthi ama-dendrites. Ama-Dendrite ayemane abonwa njengamapayipi angena nje avala lokhu kudluliselwa. Kodwa lapho abacwaningi beqapha umsebenzi we-dendritic kumagundane aselabhorethri njengoba enziwa ukuthi agijime phakathi kwama-mazes baphawula ukuthi ngaphandle kokudluliselwa okukhiqizwe ama-neurons, kuphinde kwaba nomsebenzi owandisiwe ngaphakathi kwama-dendrites ngokwawo. 

Lokho ososayensi abakutholayo ukuthi ama-dendrite, empeleni, akhiqiza ama-impulses awo, futhi ngamanani afika izikhathi ezingu-10 ngaphezu kwalawo aphuma emizimbeni ye-neuronal; lokhu kusho ukuthi ama-dendrite aneqhaza elikhulu enqubweni yokudlulisela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuphinde kwabonwa ukuhluka kwama-voltages alawa masignali e-dendritic. Ingqamuzana lezinzwa ngokuvamile liqhathaniswa nekhompuyutha yedijithali, lapho ukudubula kwemizwa yenzwa kuba kanambambili (konke-noma-lutho) ngokwemvelo. Uma ama-dendrite ekhiqiza ama-impulse kuma-voltage ahlukene, lokhu kusho ukuthi isimiso sethu sezinzwa singase sibe ne-analog eyengeziwe ngokwemvelo, lapho kunikezwa khona injongo ethile amasignali ahlukene angase aqhume ezindaweni ezihlukene.