ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the key molecular-biological and cell-physiological terms to make this research accessible to philosophers of neuroscience and provides a smattering of molecular and cellular cognition (MCC) results of particular interest to those who study the brain to understand cognition. It also discusses the tools for precise interventions into molecular signaling pathways in targeted neurons. A remarkably successful area in mainstream neurobiology, known as MCC, has been bridging the gap between molecules and the mind for over a quarter century. Under standard light microscopes, these proteins both illuminate neurons' fine structures and permit imaging of axonal projections and neuronal signaling pathways, specifically when animals engage in cognitive behaviors. The use of molecular tracers in the study of adult neurogenesis also helps to elucidate critical periods in the formation of LTP. Adult neurogenesis appears to correlate positively with contextual learning, although it remains uncorrelated with improved spatial navigation, and it may even negatively affect working memory.
