Participation of the genetic apparatus in memory and learning

Abstract

Information is received and stored in the nervous system as a dynamic process in a neuron ensemble. It is not recorded in programmed molecules or in single cells. The genetic apparatus provides for function of the ensemble by the synthesis of specific proteins and the regulation of their action.The view that the genetic apparatus plays a leading role in phenomena of memory is generally accepted. The problem of how the DNA-RNA-protein triad fits into the scheme of perception, storage, and recall of information is, however, a subject for discussion.In the study of the molecular bases of memory we must start from the basic assumption that information is received and stored in ensembles of neurons as a dynamic process; the functioning of the ensemble is maintained by the constant renewal of plastic material [4,17,24,27,52,55, 92].