🧠 The teenage brain undergoes two monumental changes: synaptic pruning and myelination.
🌱 Synaptic pruning is the process of cutting away unused synaptic connections in the brain, leading to more specialized knowledge.
💡 As teenagers grow older, their brains become more focused and narrow in their areas of expertise.
🧠 Synaptic pruning increases efficiency in the teenage brain.
⚡️ Myelination speeds up the signal transmission in the adolescent brain.
🧠 Myelination increases the speed of signals in the brain by a hundred times.
👥 The brain consists of gray matter (cortex) and white matter (myelinated axons).
🌱 During teenage life, the brain undergoes synaptic pruning and myelination.
😩 As the brain develops from back to front, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functioning, is the last part to mature.
🧠 The limbic system, responsible for emotions, develops before the rational part of the brain.
💚 The amygdala, located in the limbic system, is the center of emotion and alerts us to danger.
🤔 The prefrontal cortex is the rational part of the brain and is involved in thoughtful decision-making.
🧠 The teenage brain undergoes synaptic pruning and myelination, leading to changes in impulse control and emotional regulation.
🎲 Teenagers are more prone to risk-taking behavior due to the high levels of dopamine in their brain, which influences decision-making.
📱 The release of dopamine is more intense in adolescents when engaging with social media, influencing their behavior and motivation to repeat certain actions.
🧪 Dopamine surge in the teenage brain drives risk-taking behaviors.
🚗 Teenagers are at the highest risk of car crashes due to the rewarding nature of risky activities.
👥 Peers have a significant influence on teenagers' risk-taking behavior.
⏰ The circadian rhythm is the internal biological clock that controls our sleep-wake cycles.
🌙 Melatonin, released by the pineal gland, regulates sleep and is released at different times in children and teenagers.
😴 Teenagers experience a shift in their circadian rhythm, leading to a delay in melatonin release, which contributes to sleep deprivation and moodiness.