Plasticity - Definition and Overview

Plasticity has four meanings:

• Plasticity (physics): In physics and engineering, plasticity is the propensity of a material to undergo permanent deformation under load.

• Phenotypic plasticity: Describes the degree to which an organism's phenotype is determined by its genotype.

• Plasticity (brain): Entire brain structures can change to better cope with the environment. Specifically, when an area of the brain is damaged and non-functional, another area may take over some of the function. This is known as plasticity.

• Synaptic plasticity: In neurobiology, plasticity is a property of a neuron or synapse to change its internal parameters in response to its history.