Human nervous system is a system that transports stimuli from sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord, as well as transmitting impulses to other regions of the body. It regulates other body’s systems and connects the brain with the surrounding environment. The environment of Proxima c. sets conditions which are impossible to live for a human being. This is because of its very low temperature, radiation, and high solar wind pressure. Under such conditions, human nervous system would not function as impulses will not be transmitted through body parts.
To adapt to such harsh conditions, neurons have to be protected with more fatty layers and be more resistant to external factors. Adaptation should be done at a cellular level to ensure that the system has been altered from its core. Neurons are responsible for transmission of information in the system, thereby to make human beings adaptive to Proxima c., it is crucial to change the structure of neurons. Kohn and Ritzmann (2018) found that human neurons learnt to adapt to changes in gravity, and this can further be applied to other factors, such as pressure and low temperature. Such cellular level adaptation would benefit humanoid more as it provides further changes in the systems. For example, the process of transmission of impulses will be slow down, allowing other systems to adapt to changing circumstances. Moreover, neurons will change the brain structure that would benefit the overall adaptation of a body, making it ready for the new conditions.
Neurons are the building blocks of the nervous system, thereby if they alter their structure, they may help the body to stay alive in the environment of Proxima c. Clément et al. (2020) through their investigation of the challenges to the central nervous system during spaceflight missions, found that neurons are sensitive to changes in temperature more than in pressure. Therefore, if neurons are resistant to low temperature, they would ensure that body will be alive under the conditions of Proxima c. More fatty acid layers on neurons would provide more protection to them, meaning that they can transmit impulses even in harsh situations like extremely high pressure. However, such layers may slow down the transmission and the normal body processes will also be slower than on Earth. D’Angelo et al. (2018) state that metabolism correlates to neuronal maturation, suggesting that changes in the structure of neurons would lead to the slow metabolic processes. Such the situation allows a body to preserve internal temperature.
As it can be seen, neuronal transformation regarding the conditions of the environment of Proxima c. cannot provide better function of the nervous system on Earth. Due to the additional fatty layers, metabolism will not work at its normal rate, and it may hinder the flow of impulses needed to interact with the environment of Earth. A human being will not obtain as well as response to the coming information, such as light, pressure or temperature. Moreover, neurons with more fatty layers can obtain other functions, such as transmitting different information. For example, neurons that were responsible to light detection would also deliver information regarding smell or vision. This would not be working on Earth as neurons have been already adapted to the conditions there. Yet, such neuronal changes will be perfect for the environment of Proxima c.
References
Clément, G. R., Boyle, R. D., George, K. A., Nelson, G. A., Reschke, M. F., Williams, T. J., & Paloski, W. H. (2020). Challenges to the central nervous system during human spaceflight missions to Mars. Journal of neurophysiology, 123(5), 2037-2063.
D’Angelo, M., Antonosante, A., Castelli, V., Catanesi, M., Moorthy, N., Iannotta, D.,… & Benedetti, E. (2018). PPARs and energy metabolism adaptation during neurogenesis and neuronal maturation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(7), 1869.
Kohn, F. P., & Ritzmann, R. (2018). Gravity and neuronal adaptation, in vitro and in vivo—from neuronal cells up to neuromuscular responses: a first model. European Biophysics Journal, 47(2), 97-107.