Brain Development and Structure

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.