Nonsynaptic plasticity

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nonsynaptic-plasticity

1. What is the mechanisms of action?
2. How can a brain cell change without changing its connections?
3. What role do chemicals like dopamine and serotonin play in nonsynaptic plasticity?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mechanisms of action?Includes changes in intrinsic neuronal excitability (ion channels, membrane properties) and neuromodulation
2. How can a brain cell change without changing its connections?By altering ion channels or the cell’s membrane, the cell can fire differently. This changes how it responds to signals.
3. What role do chemicals like dopamine and serotonin play in nonsynaptic plasticity?They spread throughout the brain and make many cells more or less excitable, helping the brain learn and behave.

Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability: The inherent tendency of a neuron to generate action potentials, influenced by its ion channel composition.
Neuromodulators: Chemical messengers (e.g., dopamine, serotonin) that broadly influence neuronal activity and network states.
Homeostatic Plasticity: Mechanisms that stabilize neural activity and prevent runaway excitation or inhibition within neural networks.
Gliotransmitters: Signaling molecules released by glial cells that can influence neuronal function and synaptic transmission.