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Related Concept Videos

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue01:15

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue

In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...
Neurons: The Cell Body and the Dendrites01:23

Neurons: The Cell Body and the Dendrites

A typical nerve cell comprises three main components: the cell body, dendrites, and the axon. The cell body, also known as the soma or perikaryon, serves as the central biosynthetic hub housing a nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm containing organelles commonly found in most cells. Notably, Nissl bodies, clusters of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and free ribosomes responsible for protein synthesis, are distinctive features of the neuronal cell body. As neurons age, aggregates of a brown pigment...
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Neuron Structure

Overview
Neuron Structure01:30

Neuron Structure

Neurons are the main type of cell in the nervous system that generate and transmit electrochemical signals. They primarily communicate with each other using neurotransmitters at specific junctions called synapses. Neurons come in many shapes that often relate to their function, but most share three main structures: an axon and dendrites that extend out from a cell body.
Structure and Function of Neurons
The neuronal cell body—the soma— houses the nucleus and organelles vital to cellular...
Adult Stem Cells01:33

Adult Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously renew...
Neuroplasticity01:01

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

The "Brain Milking" Method for the Isolation of Neural Stem Cells and Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells from Live Rats
06:52

The "Brain Milking" Method for the Isolation of Neural Stem Cells and Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells from Live Rats

Published on: February 9, 2024

How do adult neurons survive?

Susanna C Benn1, Clifford J Woolf

  • 1Day Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.

Discovery Medicine
|August 14, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Apoptotic cell death, or programmed cell death, is vital for nervous system development, eliminating surplus neurons. Mature neurons resist this process to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Apoptotic cell death, or programmed cell death, is a regulated cellular process essential for development.
  • Developing neurons undergo apoptosis unless rescued by growth factors, ensuring proper nervous system formation.
  • Unlike developing neurons, mature neurons must survive indefinitely to prevent neurodegenerative deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of apoptosis in neural development and mature neuron survival.
  • To understand the mechanisms that protect mature neurons from programmed cell death.
  • To highlight the contrast between neuronal apoptosis during development and in adulthood.

Main Methods:

  • The study reviews the biological processes of apoptosis in the context of neurodevelopment.

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Studying the Integration of Adult-born Neurons

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Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

The "Brain Milking" Method for the Isolation of Neural Stem Cells and Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells from Live Rats
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Genetic Study of Axon Regeneration with Cultured Adult Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons

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Published on: March 25, 2011

  • It examines the role of growth factors in neuronal survival during embryonic development.
  • It discusses intrinsic molecular mechanisms protecting mature neurons from apoptosis.

    • Main Results:

    • Apoptosis is a critical mechanism for eliminating excess neurons during embryonic development, ensuring functional neural circuits.
    • Growth factors act as survival signals, inhibiting the apoptotic pathway in developing neurons.
    • Mature neurons possess inherent molecular mechanisms to prevent the activation of dormant apoptotic pathways, ensuring long-term survival.

    Conclusions:

    • Programmed cell death is a fundamental process for sculpting the nervous system during development.
    • The survival of mature neurons relies on active suppression of apoptotic pathways.
    • Dysregulation of these processes can contribute to neurodegenerative conditions.