From the Perspective of a Neuron

Growing knowledge about the interconnected nature of neural function poses a significant challenge to the long-standing belief in the neuron theory, which views individual neurons as the fundamental unit and source of neural and psychological functions. Originally outlined in the “neuron doctrine,” this perspective is no longer tenable. This chapter examines the growing theoretical divide between systemic and network approaches in neuroscience and the underlying neuron theory. It explores the historical context of the neuron doctrine, the evolving network perspective, and various attempts to characterize and classify neurons. In addition, this chapter discusses the role of neuroepigenetic information in adding complexity to the observed neuronal diversity. Key neuroepigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and RNA interference, are introduced, and their functional differentiation into synaptic, developmental, and structural-genomic mechanisms is presented. The chapter concludes by considering whether the environmental sensitivity of epigenetic mechanisms indicates neuronal plasticity or whether they serve as stabilizing mechanisms within the individual developmental pathways of a neuron.