experience-dependent plasticity

Question

Explain experience-dependent plasticity and apply it to a skill or behavior that you have learned. Explain the skill or behavior that you think is a good example of plasticity, and how did your experience shape this skill or behavior? How do you think your life would be different if your brain could not change and adapt to different experiences?

Answer 1

Hi Trin,

Experience-dependent plasticity refers to the evolving reorganization of neurotransmitters in the brain. Our brains clump similar synapse systems together and create new synapses based on our lived experience. An example of this process could be learning to ride a bike, previous synapses that have been developed for you to be able to walk or use your limbs (employing motor circuitry) will be rewired to allow for this new activity. Your body will remember this system over time because it had previously made the connection:) The stronger the connection, the easier it will be for you to ride a bike. Meaning, the more often you do the process of riding your bike, the stronger the synapse system. If our brains could not change and adapt to different experiences, then I think we would all be rather boring-- all working with synapses that are present when we are born. This is like saying what would life be like if we could not learn.