Brain Development

The mind is something very different from the brain. It is our awareness of the world the terrain of our reasoning and beliefs. Science can't explain the human mind, culture, or our creative artifacts (books, sculpture, movies), but we can certainly tell you a bit about the biology of the brain.

We all have the same brains, made up of massive networks of neurons as well as other cells and structures, such as blood vessels. Yet we think, feel, and react in our own special way. This happens because the experiences we have through our bodies interacting in the world are so wide and varied. Our languages, cultures, activities and friendships also provide for varying perspectives and perceptions. Our environment helps shape what our mind is to become.

A network of neurons is set up in the body before birth. But that doesn’t mean the size and shape of the brain are set in stone after birth. Nervous tissue has a characteristic called plasticity, which allows it to change in response to the outside world. Changes in the brain throughout life allow for memory, learning, and individuality.

How Does a Neural Network Come to Be?

An embryo contains many stem cells, which become specific cells like skin cells or bone cells during development through a process called differentiation. Some of these stem cells become neuron cells. These early neuron cells, still without axons, move to different locations throughout the body. Once settled, a neuron will grow an axon. Certain molecules direct the axon to its final location. When the neuron has developed and meets other neurons, synapses form.

Why aren’t we all the same if we have similar neural networks?

Even after the neural network has developed within a human, brain development is still incomplete. Experience and other factors help to shape the brain after birth and contribute to individuality. 

During a critical period following birth, neurons complete development by refining their pathways. Scientists have found that if the eyes remain closed during this period and only open several months later, the brain is unable to make sense of any visual input for the rest of life. This shows that experience and neural use are necessary for brain development – in this case, without using its eyes, the brain never learns to see! 

Experience continues to shape the brain after this critical period. The changes that experience makes to the brain help create individuality, or the mind. While the network of neurons in the head is called the brain, the term “mind” refers to our personality, awareness of the world, the terrain of our reasoning, and our beliefs. Scientists are still uncertain of how the two are connected. Memory contributes to the mind. It stores experience and aids with learning.

Although scientists are still discovering many new things about the brain, they’ve got a few leads. One is that memories are stored throughout the brain, not just in one particular location.  They also know that when a memory is to be stored for a long time, it actually changes the brain. Most of the changes made to the brain in order to store memory change the efficiency and effectiveness of certain synapses. Therefore, storing long-term memories either strengthens or weakens certain neural pathways and changes the brain!