The plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease are made up of which substance?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease are made up of beta amyloid, a protein fragment that accumulates outside of brain cells and forms these plaques. The accumulation of beta amyloid is thought to play a role in the neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer's disease. Tau proteins and acetylcholine are both also implicated in the disease, but they are not the main substance found in the plaques. Dead dendrites are not directly associated with Alzheimer's disease plaques.

The Plaques Found in the Brains of People with Alzheimer's