Just realized I had a few posts intended for a different project, I apologize for those.
Astrocytes as singular self-aware units which independently instantiate behavior just feels like an amazing bit of coherence for a lot of weird pathology. It makes me think of the randomness in organ rejection in transplant patients, why is it still so hard to predict when it will happen? Perhaps at some point there will be an “astrocyte compatibility assay” used to sus the level of hostility the immune system will have to the new cells.
We can use the same mechanics to explain how digestive tracts form and use memory, or explain why hearts keep beating even after the brain stem is severed. Things like “gut-brain axis” ignore that these are the same networks, same processes, just different specializations. “Health” is a cumulative effect of homeostatic balance across all astrocytes. “Heart health” is a direct result of the cumulative health of astrocytes in the heart.
The astrocyte network mechanic provides that all of these organs are essentially the same, just specialized for a certain task. As far as our DNA is concerned, the heart is no different than the hippocampus.