What is the difference between short term synaptic plasticity and long term synaptic plasticity?
Synaptic plasticity is a term used to describe the ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time in response to increase or decrease in their activity. The changes probably occur due to alteration of the number of neurotransmitter receptors located on a synapse.
Short term synaptic plasticity lasts for a very short time, that is, from a few milliseconds to a few minutes. It can either strengthen or weaken a synapse.
Long term synaptic plasticity can last from a few minutes to a few hours.
The synapses are specialized to serve distinct functional roles. This is why, despite basic similarities, the synapses differ from each other. Multiple forms of plasticity at different synapses and their effect on different cellular properties determine the effect of short term synaptic plasticity on the functions of synapses in the brain.
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