PSYC 2500 Lecture Notes - Eleanor J. Gibson, Taste, Medium Wave
7 Mar 2014
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Cortex builds over 1st year of life. Baby"s cortex is of an adult: 3 year of adult, year 5 95% of adults. Synaptic pruning: what you don"t need will be pruned (don"t exist anymore: if we don"t get visual stimulation after birth, our perceptual/visual synapses will be pruned. Critical period some experiences are expected. Grow in myelinisation impulses are carried more efficiently: myelinisation occurs mostly through first year but can last up to 30. Glial cells form the underlying structure of the nervous system. Dendrites look like antennas and receive incoming signals: axon is large extension and carries outgoing signals to other neurons. Synapse is point of communication between two neurons - between axon terminals and dendrites. Neurotransmitter is released at the end of every synapse. Pruning is like individualization based on experience. Infants have a lot of plasticity: lose it as they get older. Neuroplasticity exercised (making your brain more efficient)
