Scientists say the human brain is two different organs
Researchers from Stanford, Caltech, and UC San Francisco have determined that the human brain consists of two distinct organs rather than a single unified structure. Experiments on mice revealed that the forebrain and midbrain originate from different progenitor cells than the hindbrain, a finding extended to human anatomy. This discovery explains why previous attempts to grow hindbrain neurons in labs failed and suggests that evolution combined two separate neural systems over time.
- ▪Studies indicate that the front of the brain arises from a totally different progenitor cell than the back of the brain.
- ▪The forebrain and midbrain control language and reasoning, while the hindbrain manages sleep, breathing, and heartbeat.
- ▪Previous laboratory efforts to create hindbrain neurons likely failed because they attempted to convert forebrain progenitors, which is not possible.
- ▪The research suggests that evolution pushed two existing neural systems together spatially to form the modern brain.
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| Original publisher | Boing Boing |
| Canonical URL | https://boingboing.net/2026/09/21/fountain-pen-brain-two-organs-2.html |
| Publication time | Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:17:35 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-21T19:53:49.578Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-21T19:53:49.578Z |
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| Cluster | hmKw_pZcCiFl · 2 stories |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
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Scientists say the human brain is two different organs Mark Frauenfelder 12:17 pm Mon Sep 21, 2026 brain is two organs — Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Researchers at Stanford, Caltech, and UC San Francisco say that recent experiments with mice reveal that their brains are actually two different organs. They extended this finding to human brains. One brain consists of the midbrain and forebrain, which control language and reasoning and are the seat of consciousness, while the hindbrain runs sleep, breathing, hunger, and heartbeat. "We've shown for the first time that the front of the brain arises from a totally different progenitor cell than the back of the brain," said Kyle Loh, the senior author of the study.
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