WIRING THE BRAINNNNN

Flashcards about the genesis of neurons and connections in the brain.

When does most neurogenesis occur in humans?

Before birth

What are neural stem cells also known as?

Neural progenitor cells

What is the periventricular region?

The area where neurogenesis occurs.

What is the main characteristic of symmetrical division (vertical cleavage) in stem cell replication?

Daughter cells both remain in the ventricular zone and continue to divide and proliferate.

What is the main characteristic of asymmetrical division (horizontal cleavage) in stem cell replication?

The two daughter cells have different fates; one migrates away to its final position, the other remains in the ventricular zone.

What order are the layers of the cortex built?

Inside out (VI, V, IV, III, II)

Where does neurogenesis occur in adults?

Hippocampus and olfactory bulb

Name three ways to stimulate neurogenesis in adult rodents.

Environmental enrichment, exercise, and socialization

What are the three phases of building long-range connections?

Pathway selection, target selection, and address selection

What is the growth cone?

The tip of a growing neurite.

What is the function of chemoattractants in the genesis of connections?

To lead the neural process toward a point

How does the brain create structure when it develops?

The brain subtracts by eliminating cells and synapses.

What is synaptic rearrangement?

A change in the pattern of innervation of a target neuron or region.

What is the phrase that describes Hebbian learning?

What fires together, wires together.

What is the effect of monocular deprivation?

Altered patterns of ocular dominance columns