Charge-trap flash memory cells of the brain

Authors

Foster, P. P., Chhikara, R. S., Boriek, A. M.

Abstract

Despite extensive study of cellular mechanisms underlying long-term potentiation, no single specific protein or gene has been identified which encodes an individual unit of information, or memory bit. Indeed, the brain engram remains a knowledge gap. The theory of exclusion led us to cancel one-by-one several unrealistic biological options, suggesting that the explanation resides somewhere else. Superposition of up to concentric 300 myelin layers, spiraled, and highly compacted wrapping a single axon and each wrap could host hundreds to thousands of niches, as memory cells, collectively consisting of a massive array of cells. The disjointed 3D spatial superposition allows storage of charges, nodes not facing from a layer to next. The thickness of a single myelin layer ranges from 7.0 to 20 nm. The dimension scale is approximately the exact dimensions of the charge trap, the tunnel and dielectric also equipping current AI microchips. Stored charges are positive ions, with similar effect whether charges are negative or positive charges creating an electromagnetic field. To write data, following an action potential, this voltage applies to the control gates of the myelin layers producing an ionic charge injection. This causes charges to gain energy and tunnel through the myelin layer across Ranvier nodes, via quantum tunneling, and deep into the concentric myelin multilayers. This is creating an insulated trapping of K+ ions isolated from the system. In a long white matter tract bundle, the near-perfect isolation of millions of axons within compressed myelin wrap-ion channel K+/Na+ systems provides quantum coherence and precision of asynchronous firing property. The injected ionic charges (K+) become physically stuck in traps within the myelin layers. The K+ ions may not move freely, completely trapped after AP ceases. Mirroring a single-bit, single-level-cell, a trapped ionic charge (ions K+) may represent a 1, while an empty cell (absence of K+) represents a 0. The trial-and-error process, with a Bayesian inference which may have also been the core evolution of the learning human brain. Based on selected mathematical equations, we analyzed the general scheme on how deep learning may be embedded in the brain

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 04 Jul 2026.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this preprint? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.