The growth factors cascade and the dendrito-/synapto-genesis versus cell survival in adult hippocampal neurogenesis: The chicken or the egg

Highlights • We summarize the evidences suggesting a specific selection process for newborn neurons in adult hippocampal neurogenesis. • The selection process is based on a late-onset apoptosis time window, unlike in development. • The selection process is time-specific, and shows spatial regionalization, and cell compartmentalization. • The reason for these features is because newborn neurons are incorporated to a already formed, functional circuit. • The benefit is to use a selection criterion of activity/functionality of new neurons.