PSY 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Myelin, Oligodendrocyte, Synaptic Pruning

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 2301
• Professor: Andree- Anne Ledoux

Document Summary

Brain development ii: after neurons migrate to their final destinations and differentiate into specific neuron types they mature in two ways, through dendritic growth and axonal growth, dendritic growth: Grow dendrites to provide surface area for synapses with other cells. Extend their axons to appropriate targets to initiate synapse formation: differentiation is accomplished through chemical signals, after differentiation, maturation occurs. Dendritic growth: aborization (branching, growth of dendritic spines where most synapses occur slower (micrometres/day) than axonal growth (mm/day) Look at the slide for visualizing branching: these dendrites will grow bigger and bigger. You have growth of spines, the spines are not initially differentiated. They differentiate when a dendrite synapses with an axon. Axonal growth: on top of the axon you have a growth cone (growing tip of axon), on the growth cone you have filopodia. These arms "sniff around" for specific chemicals and specific triggers in the environment.