Why nerve cells can't reproduce?

Answer 1:
It does seem weird that we can't replace nerve cells that get damaged.The answer
is basically that having nerve cells reproduce can do more harm than good. Each
nerve cell has a specific place in our nervous system. Its job is all about tak
ing a signal from one specific place to another one. Adding new nerve cells woul
d mess up these very specific connections in a very complex system. So we trade
off the ability to repair our nerves in order to avoid messing up connections.
We used to think that people never got
get a small number of them around the
bit more complicated for young people
rve cells. This is also a good example
new information.

new nerve cells, but it turns out that we

teen years. This does seem to make life a
whose brains have to adjust to the new ne
of how science is constantly discovering

If we can't add new nerve cells, how do you think we learn? Hint:growing and rep
roducing are different.
Thanks for asking.
Answer 2:
What a great question! I am guessing based on your question that you know that m
ost other kinds of cells do keep reproducing, at least for a while. This "reprod
ucing" is division of one cell into two using a process called MITOSIS. As you m
ight imagine, nerve cells (also called neuronal cells) are very specialized - th
ey do a very specific, complicated job in the body. As a result, their structure
s are very specialized - they have a small "cell body" and then long processes t
hat branch off the to connect with other neurons or other types of cells such as
muscles. As they become specialized, the cells devote energy and structures to
their "new" jobs as neuronal cells and they give up the ability to do other thin
gs, such as divide (reproduce, to use your word). This specialization has a tech
nical term that we use - we call it "terminal differentiation." This means that
once a cell commits (makes a vow) to become a neuron, it is going to do that spe
cialized job and that job only until it dies off.The cellular "mini-machines" th
at are used in mitosis are no longer made, so the neuron cannot divide. Now here
comes some cool parts - which is why I thought this was such a great question.
First, neurons can live a pretty long time, but because they are terminally diff
erentiated and cannot reproduce, it was thought for many years that as we aged a
nd neurons died off or as neurons were damaged and killed by things such as alco
hol or drugs, there was no way to replace them. It turns out, however, that ther
e are a small number of very specialized cells in mammalian brains called NEURON
AL STEM CELLS that can actually replace the dead neurons (it still is not a good
idea to damage your cells with drugs or alcohol though!). Scientists are very i
nterested in trying to isolate and study these cells so that they could maybe be
used to repair damaged brains or spinal cords. Second, it is still a mystery HO
W a neuron "turns off" its cell division machinery - what makes it stop dividing
? Scientists are interested in this question because if we understood this, we m
ight be able to trick cancer cells into doing the same thing - stop dividing!
Why can't the CNS heal damaged nerves itself?
Unlike a cut that heals, the central nervous system has limited ability to fix i
ts damaged nerves, in contrast to the peripheral nervous system. When parts of t
he central nervous system are critically injured, the CNS cannot generate new ne
urons nor regenerate new axons of previously severed neurons. Severed CNS tips i
nitially try to grow, but eventually abort and ultimately completely fail to reg
enerate. A look into this mechanism will reveal much about how and why the CNS w
orks the way it does.
Remarkably, almost 90% of cells in the CNS are not even neurons. Rather they are
glial cells, which play an important role in supporting neurons both physically

and metabolically. They maintain the extracellular environment to best suit and
nourish neighboring neurons. The CNS and PNS have two distinct types of glial c
ells, and they are what accounts for the discrepancy in regenerative ability.
In the PNS, the glial cells are Schwann cells that don't inhibit axon regenerati
on. Their sole function here is to produce myelin to facilitate more effective t
ransportation of neurotransmitters.
In the CNS, there seem to be two "glial culprits" that inhibit axon regeneration
. These are oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Both play key roles in CNS support
and metabolism. It is logical to ask hear, "why on earth would the body ever wan
t to inhibit regenerative ability?" The body has a good answer.
This growth-inhibiting action helps enormously in stabilizing the outrageously c
omplex CNS. This highly organized complex must be maintained, and the growth-inh
ibitors provide a cellular 'scaffold' so that neurons only sprout to where they
are intended. The inhibitors effectively lock the connections into place. Withou
t these proteins, the CNS may not be able to organize itself and work properly.
The tradeoff, though, is that the CNS has no ability to regenerate itself in the
event of injury. Since the PNS is capable of regeneration, it is evident that c
ellular mechanisms exist to promote nerve regeneration.
How can nerve damage be fixed?
As of now, there is no cure for nerve damage. To prevent secondary damage, stero
ids such as methylprednisolone can reduce the swelling that results from spinal
cord injury, and Sygen, a recently discovered drug, appears to reduce the loss o
f nerve function.
However, recent biotechnology holds promise for nerve regeneration. This commerc
ial (requires QuikTime, source: http://www.adcritic.com) by Nuveen Investments s
hows Christopher Reeve walking, an optimistic and plausible outlook. Explored he
re are four ways scientists are trying to regenerate nerves in vivo:
1) Guidance Channels
2) Stem Cells
3) Growth Factors
4) Gene Therapy