Week 2/3 (Chapters 2 and 3) Prenatal and Infant Development Flashcards
(137 cards)
1
Q
Chromosomes
A
Threadlike structures of the nuclei of cells that contain genetic material.
2
Q
Autosomes
A
First 22 pairs of chromosomes.
3
Q
Sex chromosomes
A
23rd pair of chromosomes; these determine the sex of the child.
4
Q
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
A
Molecule composed of four nucleotide bases that is the biochemical basis of heredity.
5
Q
Gene
A
Group of nucleotide bases that provides a specific set of biochemical instructions.
6
Q
Genotype
A
Person’s hereditary makeup.
7
Q
Phenotype
A
Physical, behavioral, and psychological features that result from the interaction between one’s genes and the environment.
8
Q
Alleles
A
Variations of genes.
9
Q
Homozygous
A
When the alleles in the pair of chromosomes are the same.
10
Q
Heterozygous
A
When the alleles in a pair of chromosomes differ from each other.
11
Q
Dominant
A
Form of an allele whose chemical instructions are followed.
12
Q
Recessive
A
Allele whose instructions are ignored in the present of a dominant allele.
13
Q
Incomplete dominance
A
Situation in which one allele does not dominate another completely.
14
Q
Sickle-cell trait
A
Disorder in which individuals show signs of mild anemia only when they are seriously deprived of oxygen; occurs in individuals who have one dominant allele for normal blood cells and one recessive sickle-cell allele.
15
Q
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
A
Inherited disorder in which the infant lacks a liver enzyme.
16
Q
Huntington’s disease
A
Progressive and fatal type of dementia caused by dominant alleles.
17
Q
Behavioral genetics
A
The branch of genetics that studies the inheritance of behavioral and psychological traits.
18
Q
Polygenetic inheritance
A
When phenotypes are the result of the combined activity of many separate genes.
19
Q
Monozygotic twins
A
The result of a single fertilized egg splitting to from two new individuals; also called identical twins.
20
Q
Dizygotic twins
A
The result of two separate eggs fertilized by two sperms; also called fraternal twins.
21
Q
Heritability coefficient
A
A measure (derived from a correlation coefficient) of the extent to which a trait or characteristic is innerited.
22
Q
niche-picking
A
Process of deliberately seeking environments that are compatible with one’s genetic makeup.
23
Q
Nonshared environmental influences
A
Forces within a family that makes siblings different from one another.
24
Q
Prenatal development
A
The many changes that turn a fertilized egg into a newborn human.
25
Zygote
Fertilized egg, created when a sperm cell penetrates an egg.
26
In vitro fertilization
Process by which sperm and an egg are mixed in a petri dish to create a zygote, which is then placed in a woman's uterus.
27
Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)
A procedure used to test the heredity of an egg fertilized with assisted reproductive technology, typically to determine the presence of genetic disorders.
28
Eugenics
Effort to improve the human species by letting only people whose characteristics are valued by a society mate and pass along their genes.
29
Implantation
Step in which the zygote burrows into the uterine wall and establishes connections with the woman's blood vessels.
30
Germ disc
Small cluster of cells near the center of the zygote that eventually develop into the baby.
31
Placenta
Structure through which nutrients and wastes are exchanged between the mother and the developing child.
32
Embryo
Term given to the zygote once it is completely embedded in the uterine wall.
33
Ectoderm
Outer layer of the embryo, which becomes the hair, outer layer of the skin, and nervous system.
34
Mesoderm
Middle layer of the embryo, which becomes the muscles, bones, and circulatory system.
35
Endoderm
Inner layer of the embryo, which becomes the lungs and digestive system.
36
Amnion
Inner sac in which the developing child rests.
37
Amniotic fluid
Fluid that surrounds the fetus.
38
Umbilical cord
Structure containing veins and arteries that connects the developing child to the placenta.
39
Cephalocaudal principle
A principle of physical growth that states that structures nearest to the head develop first.
40
Proximodistal principle
Principle of physical growth that states that structures nearest the center of the body develop first.
41
Period of the fetus
Longest period of prenatal development, extending from the 9th until the 38th week after conception.
42
Cerebral cortex
Wrinkled surface of the brain that regulates many functions that are distinctly human.
43
Vernix
Substance that protects the fetus' skin during development.
44
Spina bifida
Disorder in which the embryo's neural tube does not close properly.
45
Stress
Physical and psychological responses to threatening or challenging conditions.
46
Teratogen
An agent that causes abnormal prenatal development.
47
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
Disorder affecting babies whose mothers consumed large amounts of alcohol while they were pregnant.
48
Ultrasound
Prenatal diagnostic technique that uses sound waves to generate an image of the fetus.
49
Amniocentesis
Prenatal diagnostic technique that uses a syringe to withdraw a sample of amniotic fluid through the mother's abdomen.
50
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
Prenatal diagnostic technique that involves taking a sample of tissue from the placenta.
51
Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)
A prenatal diagnostic technique that analyzes genetic material released from the placenta that circulates in a pregnant woman's blood stream.
52
Crowning
Appearance of the top of the baby's head during labor.
53
Hypoxia
A birth complication in which umbilical blood flow is disrupted and the infant does not receive adequate oxygen.
54
Cesarean section (C-section)
Surgical removal of an infant from the uterus through an incision made in the mother's abdomen.
55
Preterm or premature
Babies born before the 36th week after conception.
56
Low birth weight
Newborns who weigh less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds)
57
Very low birth weight
Newborns who weigh less than 1,500 grams (3.3 pounds)
58
Extremely low birth weight
Newborns who weigh less than 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds)
59
Infant mortality
The number of infants out of 1,000 births who die before their first birthday.
60
Reflexes
Unlearned responses triggered by specific stimulation.
61
Alert inactivity
States in which a baby is calm with eyes open and attentive; the baby seems to be deliberately inspecting the environment.
62
Waking activity
State in which a baby's eyes are open but seems unfocused while the arms or legs move in bursts of uncoordinated motion.
63
Crying
State in which a baby cries vigorously, usually accompanied by agitated but uncoordinated movement.
64
Sleeping
State in which a baby alternates between being still and breathing regularly to moving gently and breathing irregularly; the eyes are closed throughout.
65
Basic cry
Cry the starts softly and gradually becomes more intense; often heard when babies are hungry or tired.
66
Mad cry
More intense version of a basic cry.
67
Pain cry
Cry that begins with a long sudden burst, followed by a long pause and gasping.
68
Irregular or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
Irregular sleep in which an infant's eyes dart rapidly beneath eyelids while the body is quite active.
69
Regular or non REM sleep
Sleep in which heart rate, breathing, and brain activity are steady.
70
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
When a healthy baby dies suddenly for no apparent reason.
71
Temperament
Consistent style or pattern of behavior.
72
Malnourished
Being small for one's age because of inadequate nutrition.
73
Neuron
Basic cellular unit of the brain nervous system that specializes in receiving and transmitting information.
74
Cell body
Center of the neuron that keeps the neuron alive.
75
Dendrite
End of the neuron that receives information; it looks like a tree with many branches.
76
Axon
Tubelike structure that emerges from the cell body and transmits information to other neurons.
77
Terminal buttons
Small knobs at the end of the axon that release neurotransmitters.
78
Cerebral cortex
Wrinkled surface of the brain that regulates many functions that are distinctly human.
79
Hemispheres
Right and left halves of the cortex.
80
Corpus callosum
Thick bundle of neurons that connects the two hemispheres.
81
Frontal cortex
Brain region that regulates personality and goal-directed behavior.
82
Neural plate
Flat group of cells present in prenatal development that becomes the brain and spinal cord.
83
Myelin
Fatty sheath that wraps around neurons and enables them to transmit information more rapidly.
84
Synaptic pruning
Gradual reduction in the number of synapses, beginning in infancy and continuing until early adolescence.
85
Electroencephalography
The study of brain waves recorded from electrodes that are placed on the scalp.
86
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Method of studying brain activity by using magnetic fields to track blood flow in the brain.
87
Experience-expectant growth
Process by which the wiring of the brain is organized by experiences that are common to most human.
88
Experience-dependent growth
Process by which an individual's unique experiences over a lifetime affect brain structures and organization.
89
Motor skills
Coordinated movements of the muscles and limbs.
90
Locomote
To move around in the world.
91
Fine motor skills
Motor skills associated with grasping, holding, and manipulating objects.
92
Toddling
Early, unsteady form of walking done by infants.
93
Toddler
Young children who have just learned to walk.
94
Dynamic systems theory
Theory that views motor development as involving many distinct skills that are organized and reorganized over time to meet specific needs.
95
Differentiation
Distinguishing and mastering individual motions.
96
Integration
Linking individual motions into a coherent, coordinated whole.
97
Perception
Processes by which the brain receives, selects, modifies, and organizes incoming nerve impulses that are the result of physical stimulation.
98
Visual acuity
Smallest pattern that one can distinguish reliability.
99
Cones
Specialized neurons in the back of the eye that sense color.
100
Visual cliff
Glass-covered platform that appears to have a "shallow" and a "deep" side; used to study infants' depth perception.
101
Kinetic cues
Cues to depth perception in which motion is used to estimate depth.
102
Visual expansion
Kinetic cue to depth perception that is based on the fact that an object fills an ever-greater proportion of the retina as it moves closer.
103
Motion parallax
Kinetic cue to depth perception based on the fact that nearby moving objects move across our visual field faster that do distant objects.
104
Binocular disparity
Way of inferring depth based on differences in the retinal images in the left and right eyes.
105
Pictoral cues
Cues to depth perception that are used to convey depth in drawing and painting.
106
Linear perspective
A cue to depth perception based on the fact that parallel lines come together at a single point in the distance.
107
Texture gradient
Perceptual cue to depth based on the fact that the texture of objects changes from distinct for nearby objects to finer and less distinct for distant objectives.
108
Intersensory redundancy
Infants' sensory systems are attuned to information presented simultaneously to different sensory modes.
109
Theory of mind
Ideas about connections between thoughts, beliefs, intentions, and behavior that create an intuitive understanding of the link between mind and behavior.
110
Apparently children are first self-aware at age 2 because this is when they first recognize themselves in a mirror and in photographs and when they first use _______.
personal pronouns such as I and me.
111
During the preschool years, children's self-concepts emphasize _________, physical characteristics, preferences, and competencies.
possessions
112
Unlike 4 year olds, most 3 year olds don't understand that other people's behavior is sometimes based on _______.
false beliefs
113
Infants respond negatively to substances that taste sour or _____.
bitter
114
Infants respond to _____ with a high-pitched cry that is hard to soothe.
pain
115
Infants' hearing is best for sounds that have the pitch of ______.
human speech
116
At age ______, infants' acuity is like that of an adult with normal vision.
1 year
117
________ are specialized neurons in the retina that are sensitive to color.
Cones
118
________ refers to the fact that images of an object in the left and right eyes differ for nearby objects.
Binocular disparity
119
When elements consistently move together, infants decide that they are ________.
part of the same object.
120
Infants readily integrate information from different senses, and their sensory systems seem to be particularly attuned to ________.
information presented redundantly to multiple senses.
121
According to ________, motor development involves many distinct skills that are organized and reorganized over time, depending on task demands.
dynamic systems theory
122
Skills important in learning to walk include maintaining upright posture and balance, stepping, and ________.
using perceptual information
123
Akira uses both hands simultaneously, but not in a coordinated manner; each hand seems to be "doing its own thing." Akira is probably ______ months old.
4
124
At one year, most infants use their left hand to steady a toy and their right hand to _______.
manipulate the toy
125
Comapred to older children and adults, an infant's head and trunk are _______.
disproportionately large
126
Because of the high demands of growth, infants need ________ calories per pound than do adults.
more
127
The most effective treatment for malnutrition is improved diet and _________.
parent training
128
The ______ is the part of the neuron that contains the basic machinery to keep the cell alive.
cell body
129
The frontal cortex is the seat of the personality and regulates _____.
planning
130
Human speech typically elicits the greatest electrical activity from the _______ of the infant's brain.
left hemisphere
131
A good example of brain plasticity is that although children with brain damage often have impaired cognitive processes, __________.
they often regain their earlier skills over time
132
Some reflexes help infants get necessary nutrients, other reflexes protect infants from danger, and still other reflexes __________.
serve as the basis for later motor behaviors.
133
The ______ is based on five vital functions and provides a quick indication of a newborn's physical health.
Apgar score
134
A baby lying calmly with his or her eyes open and focused is in a state of ______.
alert inactivity
135
Newborns spend more time asleep than awake, and about half this time asleep is spent in ______, a time thought to foster growth in the central nervous system.
REM sleep
136
The campaign to reduce SIDS emphasizes that infants should _____.
sleep on their backs
137
Research on the stability of temperament in infants and young children typically finds that ________.
temperament is moderately stable in these years
