Chapter 6: Physical Development

Question 1

cephalocaudal development

Answer 1

a sequence of physical maturation and growth that proceeds from the head (cephalic region) to the tail (or caudal region).

Question 2

proximodistal development

Answer 2

a sequence of physical maturation and growth that proceeds from the centre of the body (the proximal region) to the extremities (distal regions).

Question 3

skeletal age

Answer 3

a measure of physical maturation based on the child’s level of skeletal development.

Question 4

brain growth spurt

Answer 4

the period between the seventh prenatal month and 2 years of age when more than half of the child’s eventual brain weight is added.

Question 5

synapse

Answer 5

the connective space (juncture) between one nerve cell (neuron) and another.

Question 6

neurons

Answer 6

nerve cells that receive and transmit neural impulses.

Question 7

glia

Answer 7

nerve cells that serve multiple functions including nourishing neurons, encasing them in insulating sheaths of myelin, facilitating transport, and waste removal.

Question 8

synaptogenesis

Answer 8

formation of connections (synapses) among neurons.

Question 9

plasticity

Answer 9

capacity for change; a developmental state that has the potential to be shaped by experience.

Question 10

myelinization

Answer 10

the process by which neurons are enclosed in waxy myelin sheaths that will facilitate the transmission of neural impulses.

Question 11

cerebrum

Answer 11

the highest brain centre; includes both hemispheres of the brain and the fibres that connect them.

Question 12

corpus callosum

Answer 12

the bundle of neural fibres that connect the two hemispheres of the brain and transmit information from one hemisphere to the other.

Question 13

cerebral cortex

Answer 13

the outer layer of the brain’s cerebrum, which is involved involuntary body movements, perception, and higher intellectual functions such as learning, thinking, and speaking.

Question 14

cerebral lateralization

Answer 14

the specialization of brain functions in the left and the right cerebral hemispheres.

Question 15

dynamical systems theory

Answer 15

a theory that views motor skills as active reorganizations of previously mastered capabilities undertaken to find more effective ways of exploring the environment or satisfying other objectives

Question 16

proprioceptive information

Answer 16

sensory information from the muscles, tendons, and joints that help one to locate the position of one’s body (or body parts) in space.

Question 17

ulnar grasp

Answer 17

an early manipulatory skill in which an infant grasps objects by pressing the fingers against the palm.

Question 18

pincer grasp

Answer 18

a grasp in which the thumb is used in opposition to the fingers, enabling an infant to become more dexterous at lifting and fondling objects.

Question 19

puberty

Answer 19

the point at which a person reaches sexual maturity and is physically capable of fathering or conceiving a child.

Question 20

menarche

Answer 20

the first occurrence of menstruation.

Question 21

secular trend

Answer 21

a trend toward earlier maturation and greater body size now than in the past

Question 22

thyroxine

Answer 22

a hormone produced by the thyroid gland; essential for normal growth of the brain and the body.

Question 23

pituitary

Answer 23

a “master gland” located at the base of the brain that regulates the endocrine glands and produces growth hormone.

Question 24

growth hormone (GH)

Answer 24

the pituitary hormone that stimulates the rapid growth and development of body cells; primarily responsible for the adolescent growth spurt.

Question 25

estrogen

Answer 25

female sex hormone, produced by the ovaries, that is responsible for female sexual maturation.

Question 26

testosterone

Answer 26

male sex hormone, produced by the testes, that is responsible for male sexual maturation

Question 27

catch-up growth

Answer 27

a period of accelerated growth in which children who have experienced growth deficits grow very rapidly to “catch up to” the growth trajectory that they are genetically programmed to follow.

Question 28

marasmus

Answer 28

a growth-retarding disease affecting infants who receive insufficient protein and too few calories.

Question 29

kwashiorkor

Answer 29

a growth-retarding disease affecting children who receive enough calories but little if any protein.

Question 30

vitamin/mineral deficiency

Answer 30

a form of malnutrition in which the diet provides sufficient protein and calories but is lacking in one or more substances that promote normal growth.

Question 31

iron-deficiency anemia

Answer 31

a listlessness caused by too little iron in the diet; makes children inattentive and may retard physical and intellectual development.

Question 32

nonorganic failure to thrive

Answer 32

an infant growth disorder, caused by lack of attention and affection, that causes growth to slow dramatically or stop.

Question 33

deprivation dwarfism

Answer 33

a childhood growth disorder that is triggered by emotional deprivation and characterized by decreased production of GH, slow growth, and small stature.