Brain Development (Gray Matter)

"Brain Development" introduces basic brain anatomy and brain development to high school students. It discusses the molecular basis of central nervous system specification, starting from neural induction and pattern formation to neural migration, axon guidance, and synapse formation. It also discusses the role that experience and plasticity play in shaping the structure and function of the developing brain. Brain Development takes you on a journey inside the human brain. Discover how young neurons migrate from their birthplace to their ultimate destinations, how they become part of the neural network, and why broken circuits in the brain are so hard to fix. The book introduces basic brain anatomy and discusses the role that experience plays in shaping the structure and function of a developing brain. Packed with historical facts, easy-to-understand text, and numerous illustrations, Brain Development is an excellent educational start for budding neuroscientists.

About the Author:
Lakshmi Bangalore, Ph.D., is a scientific liaison officer at the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research and a faculty member in the Department of Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine

Contents......Page 6 1: Brain Basics......Page 8 2: Origins of the Nervous System......Page 21 3: Neurogenesis: Birth, Migration, and Differentiation of Neurons......Page 32 4: Wiring the Brain: Growth and Guidance of Axons and Dendrites......Page 43 5: Network Connectivity: Formation and Strengthening of Synapses......Page 52 6: Laying the Insulation: Glia and Myelination......Page 60 7: The Adaptive Brain: Neural Plasticity......Page 73 8: Advances in Neuroscience......Page 82 Glossary......Page 91 Bibliography......Page 98 Further Reading......Page 101 Picture Credits......Page 103 Index......Page 104 About the Author/About the Editor......Page 110 Introduces basic brain anatomy and brain development to high school students. This book discusses the molecular basis of central nervous system specification, starting from neural induction and pattern formation to neural migration, axon guidance, and synapse formation. Examines both the major aspects of the physiology and anatomy of the brain and central nervous system, as well as some of the processes for which the brain is responsible: sleep, addiction, laughter, and dreaming Discusses basic brain anatomy and development and examines the activities of the central nervous system, including neural induction, neural migration, axon guidance, and synapse formation.