Test 2 chapter 5-7 Flashcards
(95 cards)
head-sparing
biological mechanism that protects the brain when malnutrition disrupts body growth
Percentile
point on a ranking scale of 0-100
50th is the midpoint with 1/2 the sample being higher and 1/2 lower
Sleep
average newborn sleeps 16 hours/day
REM sleep
rapid eye movement sleep, dreaming, rapid brain waves
Slow-wave sleep
quiet sleep
increases at 3-4 months
co sleeping
custom of parents and children sleeping in the same room
more common in asia, africa and latin american than in western cultures
Neuron
the billions of nerve cells in the central nervous system
cortex
the outer layers of the brain
axon
a fiber that extends from a neuron and transmits electrochemical impulses from that neuron to the dendrites of other neurons
dendrite
a fiber that extends from a neuron and receives electrochemical impulses transmitted from other neurons via their axons
synapse
the intersection between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites of other neurons
neurotransmitter
a brain chemical that carries information from the axon of sending neuron to the dendrites of a receiving neuron
Transient exuberance
the great but temporary increase in the number of dendrites in an infant’s brain from birth to age 2
enables neurons to connect and communicate with other neurons
Pruning
when unused neurons and misconnected dendrites die
Experience expectant
require basic common experiences to develop normally
people who love them
experience-dependent
happen to some infants but not all
not necessary for brain function
the language the baby learns
prefrontal cortex
the area for anticipation, planning and impulse control
shaken baby syndrome
a life-threatening injury occurring when an infant is forcefully shaken back and forth, rupturing blood vessels and breaking neural connections
self-righting
inborn drive to fix a developmental deficit
all people have self-righting impulses for physical and emotional imbalance
sensation
the response of a sensory system when it detects a stimulus
perception
the mental processing of sensory information when the brain interprets a sensation
sensory development
typically precedes intellectual and motor development
hearing develops during the last trimester of pregnancy and is already acute at birth
vision is the last to mature
binocular vision
the ability to coordinated the two eyes to see one image, appears at 3 months
gross motor skills
physical abilities involving large body movements
walking and jumping