What term describes the brain's ability to reorganize and adapt?

• A. Neural plasticity
• B. Synaptic pruning
• C. Critical period
• D. Neurogenesis

Answer: (A)

Neural plasticity describes the brain’s capacity to reorganize its structure and function in response to experience, learning, or injury. This broad concept covers changes in the strength of synapses, the growth of new connections, and even the formation of new neurons in certain areas. It explains how we learn new skills, recover from brain injury, and adapt to new environments. The other terms are specific phenomena within plasticity: synaptic pruning refers to the selective elimination of synapses to refine networks, a critical period is a developmental window of heightened plasticity, and neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons in particular brain regions. None of these alone capture the overall, flexible ability of the brain to reorganize and adapt, which is why neural plasticity is the best answer.