Synaptic Pruning Synaptic pruning, or synaptic elimination, is an essential aspect of brain development; when the brain destroys itself, removing unwanted synapses, neurons or neuronal configurations to increase the efficiency of connections. The process and timing of pruning is thought to be significantly altered by the experiences, genes, and even thoughts of the developing mind. There are various theories about the true nature of pruning. During early childhood, there is an enormous proliferation of connections between neurons, usually peaking around age two. The adolescent's brain then reduces the number of connections, deciding which ones are important to keep and which ones can be discarded. Although there are various theories about the molecular mechanisms by which pruning actually occurs, most agree that pruning is primarily carried out by a highly motile form of glial cell, called microglia [1], and by preprogrammed cell death (apoptosis). These microglia are thought to clear cellular debris and provide surveillance during the healing process of an injured brain, but in the healthy, developing brain, they may have a more important function. If a synapse receives little activity, it is weakened and ultimately suppressed by microglia and other glial cells through a process called long-term depotentiation (LTD). Once the synapse is removed, the space and resources it once used are taken up by other synapses. These synapses are strengthened by long-term potentiation (LTP). These and various other processes take place throughout development, peaking in adolescence and reaching their base around age 21, and transform the brain to create more complex and efficient neural configurations.Various middle of paper. .. ...the culture and society in which the child is raised. This would mean that after pruning, an adult in one society no longer has the same neural connections as an adult in another society – those connections have been removed. Is this an underlying cause of culture shock and/or genocide? Is the developing mind more open to change and new connections than the “narrow,” developed mind? Until the scientific community has a better understanding of synaptic pruning, these questions will remain unanswered. Synaptic pruning is still a very vague process, barely understood by scientists, and the relatively small amount of research already conducted has shown that it is much more complicated than previously thought. It is an essential part of neurobiological development that has enormous consequences for the fully developed adult..