Hooking Up (IMAGE) Salk Institute Caption Top: Newborn neurons send out tiny dendritic protrusions (shown in green) that seek out pre-synaptic areas -- the sending terminals of nerve cells (shown in purple) -- that are already well-connected within the established circuitry (shown in red). Middle: Over time, the tip of the dendritic protrusions thickens, strengthening the connection between young and old. Bottom: As the young neuron matures, it monopolizes the synaptic connection site. Credit Image courtesy of Nicolas Toni, Salk Institute for Biological Studies Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.