The brain is wired for learning. With each experience, our neurons branch out to make new connections, laying down the circuitry of our long-term memories. Scientists call this trait plasticity, referring to an ability to adapt and change with experience.
For plasticity to happen, our neurons’ synapses, or connection points, must constantly remodel and adapt, too. The mechanics underlying neurons’ synaptic plasticity have become clearer, thanks to new research from the lab of Scripps Research neuroscientist Sathya Puthanveettil, PhD.
Scientists have learned that synaptic plasticity requires a complex relay from the neuron’s cell body to its dendrite arms and its synapse junctions. Like a 24-hour port and highway network, an internal transportation system of microtubule roads and robot-like couriers shuttle the cell’s vital cargo to its farthest reaches. The transported cargo allows…
