Development of the Brain .pptVIP

Chapter 5 Development and Plasticity of the Brain Development of the Brain. The human central nervous system begins to form when the embryo is approximately 2 weeks old. The dorsal surface thickens forming a neural tube surrounding a fluid filled cavity. The forward end enlarges and differentiates into the hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain. The rest of the neural tube becomes the spinal cord. Development of the Brain The fluid-filled cavity becomes the central canal of the spinal cord and the four ventricles of the brain. The fluid is the cerebrospinal fluid. Development of the Brain At birth, the human brain weighs approximately 350 grams. By the first year. the brain weighs approximately 1000 grams. The adult brain weighs 1200-1400 grams. Development of the Brain The development of neurons in the brain involves the following four processes: Proliferation Differentiation Myelination synaptogenesis Development of the Brain Proliferation refers to the production of new cells/ neurons in the brain primarily occurring early in life. Early in development, the cells lining the ventricles divide. Some cells become stem cells that continue to divide Others remain where they are or become neurons or glia that migrate to other locations. Development of the Brain Migration refers to the movement of the newly formed neurons and glia to their eventual locations. Migration occurs in a variety of directions throughout the brain. Migration occurs via cells following chemical paths in the brain of immunoglobins and chemokines. Development of the Brain Differentiation refers to the forming of the axon and dendrite that gives the neuron its distinctive shape. The axon grows first either during migration or once it has reached its target and is followed by the development of the dendrites. Neurons differ in their shape and chemical component depending on their location in the brain. Development of the Brain Myelination refers to process by which glia produce the fatty sheath tha