Developmental Neuroscience   The mature nervous system comes into being during embryonic and post-   embryonic development as a result of a series of developmental   programs that include the birth of nerve cells and their supporting (glia)   cells, the migration of these cells to defined locations within the   developing nervous tissue, the establishment of connections of these   cells to specific target areas, and selective neuronal cell death. Once   established, we now know that the mature nervous system exhibits an   amazing degree of plasticity, changing in response to experience and use.   Information gained in studies of the factors that influence nervous system   development and plasticity may provide a key toward unlocking the   potential of the mature nervous system.