Recently, scientists from Sweden discovered a special type of nerve that controls nipple hardening; the findings have been published in Nature Neuroscience.
Scientists discovered this type of nerve while mapping various nerve cells. Another nerve discovered in the research is linked to hair follicles. When activated, the muscles around the hair follicle contract, causing the hair to stand on end and producing goosebumps.
Researchers discovered a total of eight types of nerve cells that carry information to the sympathetic nervous system. When the body is anxious, the sympathetic nervous system is excited, which makes the heart beat faster and the palms sweat. However, in cold weather, it can also control the body to produce goosebumps, constrict blood vessels, and harden the nipples.
To this day, the connectivity of the sympathetic nervous system remains a mystery. Here, from the spine to tissues and structures, Linnarsson and his team traced all the connections of the sympathetic nervous system.
They began by collecting nerve cell plexuses from the spinal cord of mice and examining the differences in gene activity among these cells. Ultimately, the research team discovered that these nerve cells could be divided into eight different types, each with unique genetic characteristics.
“Our different tissues and organs are connected to many different nerve cells, but we don’t know which nerve cells they are,” Linnarsson said.
The study reveals that cells in the sympathetic nervous system can be divided into entirely different types to ensure they connect to the correct tissues after leaving the spine and traversing the body. Any misconnection can cause the body to react incorrectly when faced with danger.
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