John Harrison 1/12/11
AP Biology – D EVEN Mr. Ippolito
The article “How Exercise Can Strengthen the Brain” by Gretchen Reynolds discusses the possibility that exercise might actually improve a person’s brain. While some studies have shown that exercise can act as a catalyst for neurogenesis (the creation of new brain cells), this article discusses a different possibility. That exercise can shape existing brain cells in the same way exercise strengthens muscles. It is known that mitochondria fuel muscle cells and studies have shown that exercise creates an increase in the number of muscle mitochondria and improves existing organelles. Gretchen states that brain cells are also fueled by mitochondria, but that no-one has yet tested to see if there is a correlation. A study at the University of South Carolina performed an experiment to test the possible correlation. In this experiment, scientists collected mice and had half run for an hour every day and had the other half lounge around. The mice were observed for eight weeks and were in the same exact environments, save for the fact that the running mice had treadmills. At the end of the eight weeks, they ran both sets of mice to the point of exhaustion and examined their brain tissue. In the group of mice that ran every day, scientists found markers that showed an increase in production of mitochondria in their brain cells. Furthermore, the sedentary mice were found not to have such markers. Dr. Davis, a scientist in the experiment, believes that, for mice at least, two months of physical activity is enough to increase mitochondrial biogenesis. Since it is believed that mitochondrial deficits in the brain can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, finding out how to boost mitochondrial reproduction can play a big part in fighting them. Also, it is believed that the increase in mitochondria can make brain cells more resistant to fatigue, allowing a person to exercise more, thus creating a cycle of constant benefits. According to Dr. Davis, intense exercise is not required to sharpen the brain. He states that a human jogging for thirty minutes is comparable to a mice running for an hour in terms of the proportional increase of mitochondria cells in the brain.
This article can help reinforce the idea that exercise should be a part of everyone’s daily life. Many people do not exercise simply because getting in shape is not important to them, but this experiment could change that. If people knew that exercising could help prevent incurable diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, then they may become more inclined to work out every day. In addition, the idea that working out could actually sharpen a person’s brain and make him/her smarter could provide another incentive for people to run and work out.
While this article is well written, I fell she did not perform enough research. The entire article discusses the question of whether or not exercise increases mitochondria production in brain cells. The only data she had to support that it did was one experiment performed on mice. Until, more experiments are done, especially on humans, no conclusions deserve to be made. This essentially turns all of her bold statements about how brain exercise show mitochondrial increases in brain cells mostly conjecture. It is simply not gratifying to read an article with little definitive information on a subject where the author essentially answers her own question with “I am not entirely sure just yet, but I think it is more likely yes.”
Citation:
Reynolds, Gretchen. “How Exercise Can Strengthen the Brain” New York Times Online. 1Dec2011. 28Sep2011. < http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/how-exercise-can-strengthen-the-brain/?ref=biologyandbiochemistry>
John did a good job summarizing an article titled “How Exercise Can Strengthen the Brain” John does a good job giving the reader on background theories before explaining what the scientists experiment was about which helps give the reader context. He also sights where the experiment took place, University of South Carolina to help credit the experiment and validate its findings. Lastly John did a great job stating why this research is important and how it can possible lead to a brighter future with less disease and more awareness. To improve the summery John could have added more details about the results of the experiment. He also should have added more detail in his critique of the article. I find this article interesting because I never know that exercise could have such an effect on the brain. I think the research shows promise for a future where more people have the incentive to exercise.
ReplyDeleteJohn did a great job reviewing the article “How Exercise Can Strengthen the Brain” by Gretchen Reynolds. He presented a great summary of the entire article, stating all the key facts to allow myself or any other reader to understand the logic behind the experiment, as well as how it was preformed. He made a great point in stating that the benefits from increasing the production of mitochondria in brain cells through exercise, such as, the increase in a person’s protection against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, resistance to fatigue, and sharpening of a person’s thinking; would become great incentive for people to exercise more often. They would get the benefits of becoming more fit both physically and intellectually. John also presented a great argument in that this article writer, Gretchen Reynolds, did not present any definite facts to the reader. The experiment was done on mice, which have different brains from humans, so the results would not necessarily be the same in humans. This is only the first experiment done in researching this topic, but she presented it in a way that was deceiving for someone who was not consciously reading that what is stated is not definite.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I know that this would involve a lot more for John to have done a comparison of the experiment saying that exercise can act as a catalyst for neurogenesis and this article. I would have also like to see more detail into the experiment, such as why it was important to keep the mice in the same environment.
Other than those two things, this was a very good article review. I had known prior to reading this article and its review that exercise was good for the brain, but I did no know the reason behind this belief. I did not before this that the endurance that a runner builds in his or her legs was partly due to the increase in mitochondrial production through exercise. So I found it very interesting and logical that if exercise increased mitochondrial production in muscle cells, than it could be increased in brain cells, and that because of this, the brain would be “stronger,” just like the muscle cells.
There are few studies that show how laziness benefits the body, and everyday we are hearing about new experiments that condone overeating and sloth. Gretchen Reynolds explains in a New York Times article, “How Can Exercise Strengthen the Brain”, that a person can really benefit from exercise not only in a cardiovascular sense, but in a mental sense as well. John Harrison evaluated this article and saw how a major point that Reynolds was trying to get across was that mice are now being tested to see if brain cells are actually reshaped during exercise, in addition to being created. In experiments for this theory, mice were tested by having to run for an hour a day, and the mitochondria count in the brains of these mice was greater than mice who were sedentary. Another point that John covered had to do with the mitochondria, which help to provide energy for cells. Scientist believe that if there is a greater mitochondria count in the brain, that would prove that preexisting cells were shaping and changing, proving that exercise directly relates to brain growth. A third point that John mentioned had to do with mitochondria deficits, which are present in diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Because there is a lack of mitochondria, the brain cannot grow and develop, which is why exercise might be crucial in protecting one’s brain.
ReplyDeleteJohn hit all of the essential points, however he could have also included information about mitochondria’s role in becoming resistance to fatigue. When there are more mitochondria in a cell, the cell can produce more energy and become a more vital. Therefore, the brain can become less tired and stronger if exercise is regular and supports mitochondria activity. Another point that John forgot to mention was the results of the mouse test. Scientists realized after the mouse experiment that the exercising mice had more mitochondria in certain parts of the brain than those of the sedentary mice. These results are essential because they help to prove that exercise leads to a healthier brain. One point that I thought was very important to this article was in regard to the mitochondria deficiencies and how they relate to brain dysfunctions, therefore suggesting that exercise could be behind helping the diseases.
Grace Devlin
ReplyDeleteAP Biology – Article Comment
12/4/11
John Harrison presented an informative and succinct review of Gretchen Reynold’s article, “How Exercise Can Strengthen the Brain.” One thing John did in his review that was especially good was his introduction of the article topic. He acknowledged the fact that exercise has already been linked to brain development, but explains that this particular article explores a different theory as to how and why this happens. Additionally, John’s description of the experiment that was detailed in the article was a great thing to include in his review. This way, the reader has an idea of what was included in the article in terms of reaching the conclusions that were made. Lastly, John’s analysis of the impact of this article was very well thought out. He states that it is important because it gives people yet another reason to develop a healthy exercise regime, but now it is for the benefit of one’s brain. It gives people a new outlook on exercise and why it is so crucial to a person’s lifestyle.
There were also some improvements that could have been made to John’s article review. For example, in the first paragraph, he states the importance of mitochondria in brain cells and that exercise increase their numbers. Here, it would have been better if John included a brief sentence or so that clarifies for the reader what the implications of such an increase would be. This way, the reader could have more of an understanding as to why exercise helps the brain. Also, it would have helped his review if John provided a more clear definition of “exercise.” He mentions running a few times in the article, but many people think of exercise in different ways. Thus, an example of a typical workout would have eliminated this vagueness for the reader.
One aspect of this article that I was intrigued by was the fact that exercise can go so far as to help prevent brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This surprised me because it just goes to show how a little work can go a long way. Of course, the studies of the effectiveness of exercise to brain strength are still well in the works and far from any definitive conclusions, but the article still provides much information that suggests the validity of the hypothesis. I think that in the future, these studies will prove to influential to the lives of many and that we will see many more people running out on the streets.