INDEX

A

actin, 226–227, 235–236, 256, 271

active zones, 253

activity coordination, signaling among organelles for, 234–235

acupuncture, 37–38, 145–147

Alzheimer’s disease, 37, 112, 133, 234, 260, 265, 288

amino acid regulation, 285–286

amoebas, 151, 154

antibiotics

bacterial resistance to, 194–195

and cancer treatments, 217

and gut microbes, 174–175, 180

rapamycin, 282

antigens, 32–33, 39–41

archaea, 151

Aristotle, 43

astrocytes, 83–84, 105–112

articles related to, 308–309

in brain energy regulation, 111–112

and calcium signaling, 100, 107–110

in disease, 112

in neuronal function, 96, 106–108

neuron interactions with, 110–111, 145

and neuroplasticity, 102

signals of, 108

types and shapes of, 107

autoimmune diseases, 28, 32, 75, 116, 129

axons, 3, 94, 95

and dendrites, 270–271, 273

and microtubules, 260–262

mitochondria in, 239

mTOR signals to, 287

myelin coating of, 121–129

in neuronal communication, 94–95

scaffolding highways for, 235–236, 257–258

transporting molecules along, 260, 262–265

B

bacteria, 152–154. see also microbes

in biofilms, 154–157

brain affected by, 181–185

and cancer, 84, 213, 215

decision making by, 161–163

in gut, 59, 60, 62, 64, 152, 173, 175–180, 195, 211

human cells’ battles with, 166–171

and organelles, 220, 221, 224, 226

plant interactions with, 207–210

platelet attacks on, 56

signaling among, 158–161

in skin, 70, 75

and viruses, 189–195

bacteriophages (phages), 189, 190

Bekoff, Marc, 6

biofilms, 154–157

and cancer, 84–85

microbe life in, 176, 178–179

blood, extracellular mitochondria in, 243

blood-brain barrier, 107, 134, 135

blood dynamics

and gut microbes, 174

pericytes in, 135

platelets in, 54, 55

blood vessels, 43. see also capillaries

lining cells of, 4

plaque in, 176

bone health, capillaries and, 51–52

bone marrow cells, 45, 48, 51, 52

brain, 3

astrocytes in, 105–112

capillaries and development of, 49–51

central clock of, 15, 16

and cilia, 278

compartments/barriers in, 131–133

electricity potentials in, 99–100

energy use by, 239

gatekeeper cells in, 4, 36

guardian cells of, 131–140

and immune system, 3–4

immunity and trash removal in, 133–134

lining cells of, 50

microbe entry into, 184–185

microbe influences on (see microbe influences on brain)

microglia in, 37, 113–119

mTOR activity in, 286–287

neuroinflammation in, 144–147

neurons in, 93–103

neuroplasticity of, 101–102

and oligodendrocytes, 121–129

and pain and inflammation, 141–147

signaling in, 290–291, 295

wired and wireless, 3, 6, 34

brain barriers, 131–133

guardian cells in, 134–140

viruses crossing, 185–187

brain cells

cancer cell support from, 83–84

production of, 50

regulation of (see microglia)

T cell conversations, 34–38

brain waves, 3, 93, 98–99, 111

C

calcium signaling, 99, 100, 107–110

cancer, 211–217

altering cellular pathways enabling, 214–215

articles related to, 324–325

and inflammation, 211–214

and interactions of microbes with food, 215–216

and pericytes, 136

role of T cells in fighting, 28–29

theoretical origin of, 77

treatments for, 81–82, 211, 216–217, 290

cancer cells, 77–89, 292

aggressive properties of, 40–41

articles related to, 305–307

brain cell support for, 83–84

and exosomes, 82, 87–88

immune system disruption by, 80–82

local supportive cells for, 79–80

metastasis of, 85–87

microbes’ interaction with, 84–85

and mitochondria, 82

and platelets, 58, 86

and tunneling nanotubes, 82, 88–89

capillaries, 4, 43–49, 291

articles related to, 301

in brain, 133, 135

and brain development, 49–51

and cancer, 86

and oligodendrocytes, 123

organs affected by, 47–48

and stem cells, 43, 45, 49, 50

in tissue growth and maintenance, 44–49

cardiac muscles, capillaries surrounding, 48

carnitine, 176

cell aging, 13–14

cell reproduction, 13, 235–236

cell size, 11–13, 152

cellular communication, 1–7, 11–18, 289–296

about location, 16–18

about time of day, 15–16

articles related to, 297–298

and cell aging process, 13–14

as central in life, 5–7

determining cell size, 11–13

and health or disease, 4

and intelligence, 5

signaling devices in, 2–4

cellular nucleus

microbes’ targeting of, 221

mitochondrial communication with, 239–243

cell-wide signaling among organelles, 231–236

for activity coordination, 234–235

for cell reproduction, 235–236

for protein quality control, 232–234

centrioles, 259–260, 277

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 35, 36, 131–140

cholesterol, 247–249

choroid lining cells, 50, 135–140, 185

chronic inflammation, 24–25

chronic pain, 3, 141, 144–147

cilia, 275–280

articles related to, 331–332

diseases related to, 280

primary, as central control center, 276–278

transport systems of, 277–279

clock mechanisms/signals, 15–16

connective cells, 69–71, 80

coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), 202–203

COVID-19, 202–203

CRISPR-Cas9, 191–192

CSF. see cerebrospinal fluid

D

dendrites, 95, 267–273

articles related to, 330–331

neuroplastic influences on, 269–270

in producing signals leaving axons, 270–271

regions of, 268–269

variables affecting computation in, 271–273

depression, 38, 139

dermis, 68, 69

diabetes, 173, 174

disease(s), 4, 293. see also specific diseases

astrocytes in, 112

autoimmune, 28, 32, 75, 116, 129

and axon transport, 262

and biofilms, 156–157

biofilms as cause of, 156–157

and choroid cells, 140

of chronic inflammation, 24

cilia-related, 280

COVID-19, 202–203

and gut barrier, 65

and gut microbes, 174, 177

microglia in, 116–119

and mitochondrial malfunctioning, 243

and movement of lipids and membranes, 249

and mTOR, 287–288

and myelin destruction, 128–129

and prions, 234

of skin, 73–75

DNA, 151–152

damaged, with cancer, 211, 213–215

launched by secretory systems, 159

mitochondrial, 237, 238, 242

and organelles, 219, 221

of T cells, 33, 34

viral, 191–193, 195–198

dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), 142–143

E

Ebola, 193, 199–201

endoplasmic reticulum (ER), 222–224

and cell-wide signaling, 231

membrane production role of, 246, 247, 250–252

mitochondrial communication with, 238–243

and protein quality control, 232–234 (see also protein production)

viruses invading, 223–224

energy demands

for motor transport, 264

for neurons, 238–239

energy regulation

in brain, 111–112

mTOR molecules in, 286

epidermis, 68, 69

ER. see endoplasmic reticulum

evolution, 192–193, 293–294

exosomes, 82, 87–88

F

fatty acids, 246, 248

fission, in mitochondria, 238, 242

food

allergic responses to, 64

gut microbe responses to, 176

for microbes, 153–154, 162

mTOR and eating regulation, 286

and risk of cancer, 214–216

T cell evaluation of, 39–40

fungi, 6, 208. see also microbes

animal behaviors affected by, 182

in biofilms, 154–157

plant interactions with, 208–209

platelet attacks on, 56

in skin, 70, 72, 73

fusion, in mitochondria, 238, 242

G

gastrointestinal tract. see gut

glia, 102, 105, 112. see also specific types

Golgi bodies, 246

and cell-wide signaling, 231

lysosome and mTOR signals to, 284, 285

membrane production role of, 222–223, 246, 247, 249–253

microtubules from, 255, 260

and protein quality control, 232–234

guardian cells of brain, 131–140, 291

articles related to, 312–313

and brain compartments/barriers, 131–133

and brain immunity and trash removal, 133–134

choroid lining cells, 136–140

function of, 134–135

pericytes, 134–136

types of, 135

gut, 59–65

articles related to, 303–304

balance of signals in, 60–61

communication network in, 62–63

cooperation among cells in, 64–65

lining cells of, 4, 59–65, 174–180, 216

and T cells for immune balance, 63–64

gut microbes, 59, 173–180, 290

articles related to, 319–320

attracting, 174–175

bacteria, 59, 60, 62, 64, 152, 173, 175–180, 195, 211

brain affected by, 181–184

and cancer, 211

cell conversations with, 60, 62

and immune cells in gut, 176–177

and mucus and biofilms, 178–179

products of, 173–174, 181–183

responses to food by, 176

and T cells, 63–64

viruses, 63, 179–180, 195

gut nervous system, 60

H

health, 4, 243, 293

heart disease, 174, 176

herpes, 186, 187, 193, 194

HIV, 56, 88, 119, 167, 186, 193, 196–199, 214

Huntington’s disease, 112

hyphae, 208–209

I

immune cells, 3

and brain cells, 34–35

and cancer, 80, 217

and capillaries, 45

in gut, 176–177

and gut lining cells, 63–65

and platelets, 54, 57–58

in skin, 69–73

and tissue destruction, 48–49

immune synapse, 41

immune system(s)

of bacteria, 190–191

and brain, 3–4

and cancer, 80–82, 216–217

and gut, 59

immunity

in brain, 133–134

neuroimmune reflexes, 146–147

in skin, 74–75

inflammation

articles related to, 313–315

and cancer, 80–81, 84, 85, 141, 144, 211–214

chronic, 24–25

and depression, 38

local, 144

and microglia, 116, 119

neuroinflammation, 144–147

in skin, 71, 74

and T cells, 29, 36

and white blood cells, 24–25

information flow/transfer, 294–296

intelligence, 5, 6, 293–294

intermediate microfilaments, 257

interstitium, 69

ion channels, 123, 124, 272

K

keratinocytes, 68–73

killer T cells, 23, 36–37, 40, 41, 276

L

learning

and astrocytes, 106

electrical synapses with, 96–97

and microglia, 117, 118

and myelin, 127–128

and neural networks, 103

and neuronal connections, 269

and neuroplasticity, 101–102, 111, 124

leprosy, 170–171, 184

life, 296

lining cells, 4

and cancer, 79

capillary, 43–45, 47, 50, 133, 135

choroid, 50, 135–140

in fetuses, 80

gut, 59–65, 174–180, 216

in skin, 68, 70–74

thymus teacher cells, 30–31

viruses attached to, 184

and white blood cells, 20–22

lipids, in membrane production, 245–253

liver, 12, 47, 48

location signaling, 16–18

lungs, 4, 47, 50

lymphocytes, 12, 19, 52. see also T cells

lysosomes, 169, 170, 232–234, 284–285

M

malaria, 185

material transport

for membrane production, 250–251

on scaffolding highways, 255–265

medical treatments, 2, 293

megakaryocytes, 53, 55

membrane production, 245–253

articles related to, 328–329

Golgi and ER roles in, 251–252 (see also endoplasmic reticulum [ER]; Golgi bodies)

lipids in, 245–253

material transport for, 250–251

in organelles, 222–223

variations in membranes, 247–249

vesicle action at synapses, 252–253

memory, 100–101, 128, 139, 278

messenger RNA, 33, 56, 219, 265, 295

microbe–human cell battles, 165–170

activity inside host cells, 168–171

articles related to, 317–318

tactics of, 168–169

tagging systems in, 167–168

vesicles in, 169–170

microbe influences on behavior, 182–184

microbe influences on brain, 181–187

articles related to, 320–321

behavior alterations, 182–184

tactics for brain entry, 184–185

viruses crossing brain barriers, 185–187

microbe–plant interactions, 6, 205–210

articles related to, 323–324

bacteria, 207–210

destructive interactions, 209–210

fungi, 6, 208–209

nitrogen fixation, 206–207

viruses, 209–210

microbes, 6–7, 151–163, 292. see also individual microbes

articles related to, 315–317

bacteria, 152–154

biofilms formed by, 154–157

brainlike characteristics of, 157–158

and cancer, 84–85, 211–217

cilia of, 275

decision making by, 161–163

food interactions with, 215–216

group activity in, 152–157

in gut (see gut microbes) and neutrophils, 23

and organelles, 219–227

and platelets, 53–58

scaffolding protein molecules targeted by, 226–227

signaling among, 158–161

in skin, 67, 69–75

and T cells, 28, 30

viruses, 151–152

microglia, 113–119

articles related to, 309–311

astrocyte signals to, 108

in disease and pain, 118–119

functions of, 113–115

neurons’ relations with, 118

and neuroplasticity, 102

shapes of, 115

signals and receptors of, 117

during sleep, 133–134

and T cells, 37

threat response by, 116–117

microtubules

in cilia, 277, 279

in distinct axon regions, 260–262

in neurons, complex structures of, 258

as scaffolding molecules, 256, 257, 263–264

mind, 6

mitochondria, 237–243

articles related to, 327–328

in cancer cells, 82

communication with endoplasmic reticulum and nucleus by, 238–243

diseases and malfunction of, 243

fusion and fission in, 238, 242

microbes’ manipulation of, 224–225

and neuron energy demands, 238–239

MS (multiple sclerosis), 128–129

mTOR molecules, 281–288

and amino acid sensing in

protein production, 285–286

articles related to, 332

in brain, complex activity of, 286–287

and diseases, 287–288

in energy and food regulation, 286

and lysosomes, 284–285

protein complexes of, 282–284

mucus, in gut, 62–65, 178

multiple sclerosis (MS), 128–129

mutations, 77

myelin, 121–129, 291

articles related to, 311–312

destruction of, 128–129

and learning, 127–128

and microglia, 116, 118

myelin code, 122–125

wrapping process for, 125–127

myelin-producing cells, 102

N

nanotubes. see also tunneling nanotubes

in bacterial signaling, 160–161

virus travel in, 226

nerves

and pain, 141–143

regeneration of, 286

and T cells, 38

neuroinflammation, 144–147

neurons, 3, 93–103

aging of, 14

articles related to, 307–308

and astrocytes, 106–111, 145

and brain electricity potentials, 99–100

and brain waves, 3, 93, 98–99

and cancer growth, 83

chemical synapses, 93–95, 97 (see also synapses)

complex microtubule structures in, 258

electrical synapses, 93–97

energy demands of, 238–239

in gut conversations, 60

and microglia, 113–114, 117, 118

mTOR signals to, 287

neuronal networks, 94–96, 267

and neuroplasticity, 101–102

and oligodendrocytes, 124

and pain, 141–147

production of, 49–50, 100–101

signaling and identity of, 103

signals among, 290–291

in skin, 71, 75

viruses living in, 186–187

neuroplasticity, 101–102

choroid cells in, 139

and dendrites, 269–270, 273

mTOR signals for, 287

neurotransmitters

and astrocytes, 107, 109–111, 145

and cancer growth, 84

diffused near neuron regions, 99

as gut microbe product, 181, 183

and microglia, 117, 119

and mitochondria, 239

and neuron stability, 103

at neuron synapses, 93–97

and oligodendrocytes, 124, 125

and pain, 142, 144

produced by bacteria, 173

release signals for, 3, 108, 262

at synapses, 252, 253

and T cells, 32, 36

neutrophils, 19, 22–25

nitrogen fixation, 206–207

norovirus, 180

nurse cells, 32

O

obesity, cancer and, 216

oligodendrocytes, 121–129, 311–312. see also myelin

organelles, 5, 292–293. see also individual organelles, e.g.: mitochondria

articles related to, 325–327

cell-wide signaling among, 231–236

membrane assembly in, 222–223

microbe conversations with, 219–227

microbes’ manipulation of mitochondria in, 224–225

protein production in, 222–223

scaffolding protein molecules in, 226–227

types of, 219, 231

vesicles with information molecules in, 225–226

organs, 219

capillaries’ effects on, 47–48

cell sizes in, 12–13

communication by, 34–35

scaffolding for, 46

P

pain, 141–147

articles related to, 313–315

chronic pain syndromes, 3, 141

microglia in, 119

and neural microcircuits, 142–146

and neuroinflammation, 144–147

pancreas, 12, 47, 48

parasites, 56, 220–221

Parkinson’s disease, 234, 243, 288

peptides, 67

pericytes, 47, 134–136

plants, 6, 205–206. see also microbe–plant interactions

platelets, 53–58, 291–292

articles related to, 302–303

and cancer, 58, 86

characteristics of, 55

in fighting microbes, 53–58

and immune cells, 54, 57–58

and white blood cells, 25

polio, 180, 187, 192, 217

prions, 119, 234

probiotics, 182, 184

programmed cell suicide pathway, 77

protein production. see also endoplasmic reticulum (ER)

by axons, 265

and cell size, 13

mTOR molecules in, 285–286

in organelles, 222–224

quality control in, 232–234

protozoa, 56, 151, 184, 220–221

R

rabies, 186, 187

rapamycin, 282

red blood cells, 44, 51, 52

retinoic acid, 17–18

RNAs

and cancer, 78, 88

and clock functions, 15–16

launched by secretory systems, 159

in material transport, 265

messenger, 33, 56, 219, 265, 295

mTOR and production of, 286

and organelles, 219

of T cells, 33

viral, 191, 193, 196, 197, 200–203

S

sacs of molecules. see also vesicles

from astrocytes, 108

capillary information sacs, 44

exosomes, 87–88

microglia information molecules, 117

neurotransmitters, 95–96

neutrophil chemical sacs, 23

platelet chemical sacs, 55, 56

from viruses, 192

SARS-CoV-2, 202–203

scaffolding highways

articles related to, 329–330

for axon function, 235–236, 257–258

material transport on, 255–265

microtubule structures in neurons, 258

scaffolding molecules, 255–257

astrocytes, 106

and bacterial attachment, 184–185

and mTOR, 283

for organs, 46

in vesicle building, 252

for white blood cells, 21, 41

scavenger cells, 19

and cancer cells, 80

in gut, 64

and microglia, 113–117

and platelets, 57

and white blood cell signals, 22, 24–25

secretory systems, 159–160, 168, 219, 250

self-antigens, 39–41

signaling devices, 2–4, 290, 295. see also individual devices

skin, 67–75

articles related to, 304–305

cell conversations in, 69–70

immunity and disease in, 74–75

keratinocytes in, 68–73

layers of, 68–69

lining cells of, 4

memory T cells in, 73–74

sleep, 133–134

spinal cord, 142–143

stem cells, 4, 171, 291

in bones, 51

and brain development, 278

and cancer, 79–81, 85

and capillaries, 43, 45, 49, 50

and chemical gradients, 18

and choroid cells, 139

and gut lining cells, 60, 62

in leprosy, 170–171

and neuron production, 107

and oligodendrocytes, 123, 128

pericytes as, 135, 136

size of cells produced from, 12

in skin follicles, 72

and viral genes, 195

stress, 38, 139, 242

sugar molecules, 247

superkiller T cells, 28

synapses

astrocytes in building, 106–107

and cancer growth, 83

chemical, 95–97

on dendrite spines, 271

electrical, 96–97, 102

energy use by, 239

and microglia, 118

neuroimmune, 144–145

in neuronal networks, 94–96

with new neurons, 101

vesicle action at, 252–253

T

tags

in clock loops, 15

in material transport, 263

in microbe–human cell battles, 167–168

in microbial decision making, 162–163

and organelles, 219, 221

in RNA regulation, 33

T cells (T lymphocytes), 3–4, 27–41

and acupuncture, 37–38

and antigens, 32–33

articles related to, 299–300

brain conversations with, 34–38

and cancer, 80–82

and depression, 38

in gut, 63–64

and gut lining cells, 63–64

and inflammation, 29, 36, 38

killer, 23, 36–37, 40, 41, 276

maturation of, 30–33

memory, 30, 37, 73–74

and microglia, 37

and other white cell behavior, 20

and platelets, 57–58

primary cilia in, 276

receptors and signals of, 33–34

scientific understanding of, 27–30

and self-antigens, 39–41

in skin, 71–74

superkiller, 28

traveling techniques of, 22

triggering of, 240

viruses travel inside, 185–186

teacher cells, 30–31

telomeres, 13, 77

thymus, 30–31, 63

time of day signals, 15–16

tissue cells, 41, 45–46

tissues

and blood vessels, 43–44

growth and maintenance of, 44–49

transport systems. see also material transport

of cilia, 277–279

and movement of lipids and membranes, 249

tuberculosis, 220

tunneling nanotubes, 87

in brain, 93

and cancer cells, 82, 88–89

V

vascular beds, 43. see also capillaries

vesicles. see also sacs of molecules

in cilia transport, 278

with Ebola, 200

exosomes, 87–88

with information molecules, 225–226

and membrane production, 250–253

in microbe–human cell battles, 169–170

microbial manipulation of, 220–221, 223–226

microglia, 117

mTOR signals for, 284

viral genes, 195–196

viruses, 7, 151–152, 189–203. see also microbes; individual viruses

articles related to, 321–323

and bacteria, 179, 189–195

brain affected by, 181, 183–187

and cancer, 84, 212, 214

Ebola, 199–201

endoplasmic reticulum invaded by, 223–224

in gut, 63, 178–180, 195

HIV, 196–199

human cells’ battles with, 167–168

and killer T cells, 23

and membrane building, 249

novel coronavirus, 202–203

and organelles, 222–227

peaceful and destructive relationships of, 194–195

plant interactions with, 209–210

platelet attacks on, 56

in skin, 70

in tree of life, 192–193

viral genes, 195–196

W

West Nile virus, 186

white blood cells, 19–25, 291–292. see also T cells

articles related to, 298–299

in brain, 51–52

and cancer, 86

and chronic inflammation, 24–25

neutrophils, 19, 22–25

in responding to emergencies, 19–23

scavenger cells, 19, 22, 24, 25

stem cells for, 51

traveling techniques of, 21–22