Mirror Neuron System

The mirror neuron system is a group of neurons in the brain that are activated both when an individual performs a specific action and when they observe another individual performing that same action. This system is thought to be involved in a variety of cognitive and social processes, such as empathy, theory of mind, and language acquisition. Mirror neurons were first discovered in the 1990s in the premotor cortex and ventral premotor cortex of the monkey brain, but they have since been found in other areas of the brain, such as the inferior parietal lobule, and in other species, including humans.

The mirror neuron system has been proposed to play a role in a wide range of behaviors, including social cognition, empathy, and learning through observation, as well as many disorders such as autism. However, the exact function and importance of the mirror neuron system is still the subject of ongoing research and debate in the scientific community.