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

The term that describes the brain's ability to adapt and modify itself is referred to as plasticity. This concept encompasses the brain's capacity to reorganize its structure and function in response to experience, injury, or environmental changes. Plasticity can involve the strengthening or weakening of synaptic connections, the formation of new neurons, and even the rerouting of neural pathways. This adaptability is vital for learning, memory, and recovery from brain injuries.

In contrast, migration refers to the movement of neurons to their designated positions during brain development, apoptosis is a programmed cell death process important for normal development and maintaining healthy tissue, and proliferation involves the growth or reproduction of cells, which is not specifically focused on the brain’s capacity to adjust and reorganize itself.