ABSTRACT
The human brain is an amazing biological computer boasting one property above all that is unmatched by electronic computers-the power of lifelong learning. Of course the brain can also perform herculean tasks, such as processing visual signals that ¦ash instantly in front of our eyes. Vision is so important for survival that a signi€cant amount of our total brain capacity, including at least 30 separate areas, is dedicated to visual processing. Massive numbers of neurons are the computer chips behind visual processing and all other brainpower. Thus, to understand the nature of the brain and how it ages, it is necessary to explore the molecular world of neurons, especially their unique DHA membranes. We will see that neurons are extraordinary cells whose capacities can be explained in part by their extraordinary membranes. Neuron membranes have evolved to conduct electrical signals or impulses at maximum speed and ef€ciency as honed by Darwinian selection. It is necessary to explore the inner workings or molecular architecture of DHA-enriched neuron membranes to gain an understanding of why human neurons are so ef€cient and perhaps so fragile at the same time. At the membrane level we encounter DHA whose long chains are used as building blocks for neuronal membranes-especially the long connecting tubes called axons along with miniature vesicles called synaptosomes, the latter of which deliver neurotransmitters across synapses. The power of DHA resides in its conformational dynamics (see Feller, 2008), which is harnessed in our brain for great bene€t.
