Adults grow new brain cells – and these neurons are key to learning by listening

Regenerating neurons may be one way to improve cognition. stanislavgusev/RooM via Getty Images

Your brain can still make new neurons when you’re an adult. But how does the rare birth of these new neurons contribute to cognitive function?

Neurons are the cells that govern brain function, and you are born with most of the neurons you will ever have during your lifetime. While the brain undergoes most of its development during early life, specific regions of the brain continue to generate new neurons throughout adulthood, although at a much lower rate. Whether this process of neurogenesis actually happens in adults and what function it serves in the brain is still a subject of debate among scientists.