A group of experts from Stanford University began observing the brain and came to the conclusion that it is not a simple organ.
If this paradigm is indeed confirmed, research into diseases that weaken motor neurons would open up a new avenue of study.
What this group of scientists points out is that at one stage of our evolution, the brain was divided into the hindbrain and the upper brain (forebrain and midbrain).
The brain developed as two well-differentiated organs that eventually joined togetherBoth parts had different functions.
From this discovery onward, the door to investigating diseases such as ALS or muscular atrophy is completely open.
As of 2026, research on human organs continues to leave scientists speechless. A group of experts from Stanford University began observing the brain and came to the conclusion that it is not a simple organ. We could be talking about two separate organs that have been fused.
If this paradigm is indeed confirmed, research into diseases that weaken motor neurons would open up a new avenue of study. What this group of scientists points out is that at one stage of our evolution, the brain was divided into the hindbrain and the upper brain (forebrain and midbrain).
The brain developed as two well-differentiated organs that eventually joined together
Both parts had different functions. The rhombencephalon was responsible for everything related to the automatic functions that keep us alive, that is, breathing, sleep, or heart rate. For its part, the other organ would be in charge of language, consciousness, and abstract reasoning. However, over time, both parts merged into one and formed the organ we have today.
The key is that both parts were supposed to develop together, but they function properly once they have joined. Kyle Loh, one of the study's authors, explains how his finding originated in remarks reported by Daily Mail: “We have demonstrated for the first time that the front part of the brain originates from a progenitor cell that is completely different from that of the back part of the brain”.
From this discovery onward, the door to investigating diseases such as ALS or muscular atrophy is completely open. This is explained by Rayyan Jokhai, another of the authors: “We now have a model to better understand these devastating diseases and work on the development of regenerative therapies to combat them.”
