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Questions and Answers
What initiates the transmission of information between neurons?
What role do neurotransmitters play in the brain?
What is the purpose of myelination in neurons?
Why is there neuron pruning during brain development?
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What happens to neurons during the first two years of brain development?
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What results from neuron proliferation before birth?
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What is the function of the synapse in neuron communication?
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How do neurons typically change over time during brain development?
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Study Notes
Development of the Brain
- The development of the brain begins soon after conception.
- Neurons or nerve cells develop and are responsible for storing and transmitting messages throughout the brain system.
Neuron Development
- Between 100 and 200 billion neurons are present at birth, which is the majority of neurons needed for growth and development.
Neural Transmission
- Information is transmitted between neurons via an axon, a long arm-like projection.
- When a neuron is activated, an electrical impulse travels along the axon and crosses the synapse between it and the adjacent neuron.
- The synapse forms a junction between neurons, and the message is received by the branch-like dendrites of the neighbouring neuron.
Neuron Growth and Complexity
- Over time, neurons develop in size and complexity, growing axon branches and dendrites that connect to other cells.
- Thousands of neurons connect to each other, forming networks that interact with other networks.
Myelination
- A process of myelination occurs, insulating the axon in a fatty sheath that improves the speed of transmission across the neural networks by up to 100 times.
Synaptic Development
- During the first two years, an estimated million or more synapses are formed every second.
- The developing brain produces many more neurons and synapses than are eventually used or needed.
Neuron Pruning
- Some neurons die off naturally, and unused or unnecessary synapses are pruned.
- The adult brain contains only about half the number of neurons generated during the developmental phase.
- This pruning enables faster and more efficient communication between the remaining cells and allows new connections to develop.
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Description
This quiz covers the development of the brain, including the formation of neurons and their role in transmitting messages. Learn about the growth of the brain from conception to birth and the process of neuron proliferation.
