Dr. Arianna Maffei gave a wonderful presentation on Neural Circuits Plasticity. During her presentation, we learned so much about neurobiology and the mechanism of learning. For example, how food that is good for you is palatable and spoiled food is that is bad for you. Before the presentation, I knew about how the different tastes such as sweet, salty, and the others. However, I did not know about the pathways from the mouthto the brain. It was very interesting to learn how the pathway starts from the TRCto the Insular Cortex. Another topic that was apart of the presentation was on how taste has sensory and affective components. Dr. Maffei explained about an experiment featuring a rat and drinking sucrose. But, during the experiment, the scientist made the rat sick and this affected his experience. After that experience, the rat avoided the sucrose and chose the water instead. This experiment was a perfect example about conditioned taste aversion. Dr. Maffei also showed us how the parts of the brain involving our taste buds. We saw how the neuron in motor cortex look similar to those in taste cortex but respond to different stimuli through the images Dr. Maffei provided. Some of the neurons in the motor cortex project their signal to the spinal cord. They are known as corticospinal neurons. Dr. Maffei explained how a lot of research of Parkinson’s disease involves the corticospinal tract and the neurons. It was amazing experience having Dr. Maffei give a presentation based on Neural Circuits Plasticity and seeing all the different images of the neurons and the brain was incredible.