Download “Describe the neuroanatomy of and neural processes related to

“Describe the neuroanatomy of and neural processes related to learning based on current
literature.”
The difference between learning and memory is rather subtle; learning is the process by
which new information and abilities are incorporated into one’s mind, whereas memory is the
way in which that information or those abilities are stored. It is important to note from the outset
that there are certainly different kinds of memory, such as procedural memory (remembering
how to do something) and declarative memory (remembering some actual semantic information),
and that the two are often unrelated. For example, a basketball player may be able to shoot a
perfect free throw, but does not need to be aware of the physics that go into the free throw
because the memory is procedural; a physicist can likely describe all the relevant physics at play
in the basketball-shooting system, but cannot typically themselves shoot a free throw as well as
the basketball player can. This describes, to some extent, the difference between declarative and
procedural memory; although they are different, both are certainly kinds of memory.
Learning is commonly defined as the process by which experiences are incorporated into
memory. This is a broad definition that encompasses not only the most traditional type of
learning (school learning, incorporated textbook facts into declarative memory), but also learning
of procedural memories, which take place according to a notably different process. By this
definition, learning also describes how people form memories of significant one-time events,
such as a car accident, though rarely would we actually define this as learning. However, it is
relevant to define learning as encompassing all of these aspects because biologically, the same
system is largely responsible for all different kinds of learning. This system is a part of the limbic
system, specifically focusing on the frontal lobe and the hippocampus. The limbic system, like
all parts of the brain, communicates through the firing of electrical impulses in neurons. These
neurons are responsible for storing all kinds of information in ways that are not fully understood;
however, a property regarding them called plasticity has been defined that determines the ability
of an individual neuron to take on new information. These neurons take on information when the
individual is exposed to the stimulus to be learned; at this time, the amplitude of the “excitatory
potential” rises for a long period of time, indicating learning.
Retrieval is a different process, but retains some similarities. Just as those neurons are
excited when information is being learned, so also is retrieval the process of re-activating those
neurons. This happens similarly for both long-term and short-term memories; the two types of
memories are stored in different places, but the process at play remains notably similar. In longterm memory processing, however, the pattern is as one would expect to ensure memories are
stored permanently, including actual change to cell structure and the formation of new and
unused synapses. This process has been described as a pattern of encoding (translating stimuli
into the storage system used by the brain), consolidation (linking the encoded stimuli with other
memories), storage (placing the stimuli in memory), and retrieval (accessing the memory of the
stimuli at a later date).