Life Span Chapter 3

Cephalocaudal Pattern

Sequence in which the fastest growth in the huan body occurs at the top, with the head.

Proximodistal Pattern

Growth sequence that starts at the center of the body and moves toward the extremitites.

Puberty

Brain-neuroendocrine process occurring primarily in early adolescence that provides stimulation for the rapid physical changes that take place during this perios of development.

Menarche

A girl's first menstruation

Hormones

Powerful chemical substance secreted by the endocrine glands and carried through the body by the bloodstream.

Hypothalamus

A structure in the brain; is involved with eating and sexual behavior.

Pituitary Glands

An important endocrine gland, controls growth and regulates other gland

Gonads

Tests in males and ovaries in females.

Gonadotropins

Hormones that stimulate the testes or ovaries.

Testosterone

Hormone associated in boys with the development of genitals, increased height, and deepening of the voice.

Estradiol

Type of estrogen in grill with breast, uterine, and skeletal development.

Menopause

Time in middle age, usually in the late forties or early fifties, when a woman has not had a menstrual period for a full year.

Neuroconstructivist View

Developmental perspective in which biological processes nd environmental conditions influence the brain's development; the brain has plasticity and is context dependent; and cognitive development is closely linked with braind development.

Myelination

Process of encasing axons with the myelin sheath, which helps increase the speed and efficiency of informatin processing.

Lateralization

Specialization of function in one hemisphere or the other of the crebral cortex.

Prefrontal Cortex

Highest level of the frontal lobes that is involved in reasoning, decision making, and self-control.

Corpus Callosum

Large bundle of axon fibers that connects the brain's left and right hemispheres.

Limbic System

Which is the seat of emotions and where rewards are experienced.

Amygdala

A part of the brain's limbic system that is the seat of emotions such as anger.

Neurogenesis

The generation of new neurons

SIDS

A condition that occurs when infants stop breathing, usually during the night, and die suddenly without an apparent cause.

Life Span

Upper boundary of life, which is the maximum number of years an individual can live. The max life span of humans is about 120 years.

Cellular Clock Theory

Theory that cells can divide a max of about 75-80 times and that, as we age, our cells become less capable of dividing.

Free radical theory

Theory of aging stating that people age because when their cells metabolize energy, they generate waste that includes unstable oxygen molecules, known as free radicals, that damage DNA and other structures.

Mitochondrial

Theory that aging is caused by the decay of the mitochondria, which are tiny cellular bodies that supply energy for cell function, growth, and repair.

Hormonal Stress Theory

Theory that aging in the body's hormonal system can lower resistance to stress and increase the likelihood of disease.

Molly is premature, of low birth weight, and experiences some respiratory problems while in the hospital. Molly is likely at higher risk for

Cystic Fibrosis

17 year old Jake tends to take risks while driving and is quick-tempered. This lack of self-control and reasoning may be due to the later development of the

Prefrontal Cortex

Leonard's blood test shows a major reduction in dopamine. The effect of this may be responsible for

Symptoms of Parkinson disease.

Marcia's baby boy weighed 8 lbs at birth. How much should he weight by 4 monts of age?

16 lbs

When Dr. Jansen compares brain scans belonging to a 70 year old and a 50 year old, what might she see in the 70 year old?

More dendrites

Who is most likely to get up later in the day?

Freshman in College

What is true of 45 year old Jim's see patterns compared to those of his 21 year old son, Matt?

Jim experiences more wakeful periods during the night.

Six-month-old Ethan goes to day care, watches tv when his parents make dinner, and has already started eating solid food. Which of the following is likely to be a problem for Ethan and his parents?

Obesity

What is the main difference in the way younger people and older people respond to stress?

Older people keep stress hormones in their system longer.

Dr. LaRossa hypothesizes that, as we age, our cells become increasingly less capable of dividing. Which theory of aging does he use in formulating his hypothesis?

Cellular Clock

Bill is just beginning to sense that he has less strength, especially in his back and legs. That he is experiencing age-related loss of lean muscle mass and strength tell us he is mostly likely in his

40s

Sammi was born 3 days ago and has lost 3 percent of her body weight. Should her parents be concerned?

No. Babies normally lose between 5-7 percent of their body weight within the first few days after birth.

Anya is growing up in an orphanage and receives very little emotional, mental, or physical stimulation and nurturing. Anya's brain development wil likely be

Depressed compared to peers raised in enriched environments.

According to the cephalocaudal growth patterns, which of the following is likely to show fast growth first?

the brain

Cognitive control involves all of the following except

inhibiting motor actions

Which of the following functions occur primarily in the right hemisphere of the brain?

performing music

Early maturation in girls is linked to which of the following>

Problem behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and have an eating disorder.

Joe is a late maturing guy. How will his self identity in his 30s be compared to the self identity of his early maturing peers.

More negative.