ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY HUMANIST FAMILY BRAIN STUDY DETAILS ABOUT YOUR BRAIN'S PLASTICITY #10 [Neuroplasticity] September 1, 2020 WHAT IS YOUR BRAIN'S PLASTICITY? AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? The purpose of your brain's neuroplasticity (plasticity process) is that it gives human beings the ability to have willpower and the ability to imagine, reason, and remember whatever is important for survival and mating and socializing. In short, it makes you an adaptable human being who can learn from changes in the environment and gives you the power to make small choices and big decisions. Now that you are aware of the massive complexity of the interactive connections of the nerve fibers inside your connectome (neuronal pathways), you can understand how it makes possible your brain's plasticity process. This process includes your brain's ability to modify itself. It makes possible your mind's mental forces (brainpower) which means your brain's virtually infinite adaptability. This profoundly important plasticity process enables you to learn new vocabulary words and complex language skills as you think about yourself (metacognition) and learn how to make more useful choices and decisions daily. This unique willpower you have allows you to be in control of your behavior and habits. This plasticity process depends upon how well all the other interactive and interdependent parts of your brain are functioning. Thus, one of your major needs is to coordinate what is happening in your connectome at any moment. The location of this process is located at each of the junctions or switches among your neurons,which are in aggregate known as your 1,000 trillion synapses. Every day your mind's mental forces interact with cultural forces and natural environmental forces to produce new experiences that can lead to new personal knowledge about your adaptable self-identity through the basic human learning process. Typically, your several memory systems store information about all your daily experiences during the daytime and your mental forces sift through those memories at night when you are asleep. Your mind reinforces the most significant memories that are salient for your personal security and self-esteem and your social bonding including mating and family relations and your ultimate survival through cooperation and collaboration in the future. This phenomenal adaptive cellular communication process, known as synaptic plasticity, is able to store long-term memories. This is caused by the fact that your neurons and your synapses are jointly involved in the exchange of ions of potassium and sodium chemicals at special switches (junctions) called synapses. Now modern scientific knowledge can explain in the new scientific language the way in which your 100-200 billion neurons and 1,000 trillion synapses are attached to each other. Your neurons and synapses function together to create your understanding about your adaptable self-identity. The plasticity process includes the entire biochemical neuronal network, which connects your brain (head) and nervous system (body). Both your brain and body need the expert "executive" control function of your prefrontal cortex (PFC) in your cerebrum to take charge and manage your behavior. This is the point at which your limbic system (emotional brain) can either sustain or upset the homeostasis of your brain and body. It depends upon the balanced coordination of your mind's mental forces (mental functions) and the outer environmental forces of nature. NOTE: See in context: working memory #1, neurons #2, dendrites #3, axons #4, nucleus of a neuron #5, synapses #7, potentiation #8, connectome #9, cerebrum #11, prefrontal cortex #12, limbic system #13, pleasure system #14, long-term memory #15. Printable PDF Form DETAILS ABOUT PLASTICITY (for your own editing and memory consolidation) RECOMMENDATION: You can re-read this summary according to a reinforcement schedule, such as a few hours later and a few days later and then several times in the next week or two. This strategy can help you take advantage of the power of the spaced-repetition method of memorization. Such deep introspection can strengthen your willpower and change your adaptive self-identity to increase your self-esteem. REMEMBER ALWAYS: You are your adaptable memory! instantly go to: FACT CHECKER ABOUT PLASTICITY #10 or instantly return to: BRAIN FLASH CARD #10: PLASTICITY or instantly return to: LIST OF 15 FREE BRAIN FLASH CARDS produced by Infinite Interactive Ideas™