8.1 + 8.2 Flashcards
What is the relationship between brain and behavioral development?
Brain and behavior develop apace, indicating they are closely linked.
What are the three perspectives from which neuroscientists study the relationship between brain and behavioral development?
- Structural development correlated with emerging behaviors
- Behavioral development predicted by underlying circuitry
- Influence of factors like hormones, injury, or socioeconomic status
Which brain structures develop quickly and exhibit their functions sooner?
The visual system.
What is one of the last cognitive behaviors to develop in humans?
The ability to plan efficiently.
What task is used to measure planning skills in the laboratory?
The Tower of Hanoi test.
At what age can most solve simple configurations in the Tower of Hanoi test?
Around age 10.
What do mature adults with acquired frontal lobe injuries fail to perform well on?
The Tower of Hanoi test.
What can we infer about neural maturation from the emergence of new abilities?
Corresponding changes in the underlying neural structures.
At birth, what ability do children lack due to underdeveloped brain structures?
The ability to speak.
What structures undergo maturation to support the emergence of spoken language?
Speech-related structures in the brain.
What influences both brain function and behavior?
- Sensory experience
- Injuries
- Hormones
- Genes
- Socioeconomic status
What must be studied to understand how brain structures function and produce behaviors?
The events that shape those structures.
True or False: The mere emergence of a fully developed brain structure is enough to explain ensuing behaviors.
False.
What hormone is mentioned as influencing the organization and function of specific hypothalamic nuclei?
Testosterone.
What can happen if testosterone secretion is atypical during development?
Changes in hypothalamic structure, sexual preference, and possibly gender identity.
What concept did Seneca the Younger propose about the human embryo?
That a human embryo is an adult in miniature
This idea is known as preformation.
What led to the decline of the preformation theory in the mid-1800s?
Realization that embryos look nothing like the adults they become
Embryos of different species resemble one another more than their respective parents.
Which vertebrate structures are similar in early embryonic stages?
Primitive head, region with bumps or folds, and a tail
This similarity supports the idea of a common ancestor for vertebrates.
At what stage of development does the human brain begin to resemble a person?
By 7 weeks (49 days) after conception
The brain looks distinctly human by about 100 days after conception.
What is the role of the neural tube during development?
It serves as the nursery for the rest of the central nervous system
The open region in the tube matures into the brain’s ventricles and the spinal canal.
What are the prenatal stages of human development?
Zygote: Fertilization to 2 weeks, Embryo: 2 to 8 weeks, Fetus: 9 weeks to birth
These stages outline the progression from conception to birth.
What is the significance of neural stem cells in the human brain?
They have an extensive capacity for self-renewal and can give rise to progenitor cells
They are multipotent and contribute to the formation of neurons and glia.
How do neural stem cells contribute to the central nervous system?
They give rise to progenitor cells, which produce neuroblasts and glioblasts
These then mature into specialized neurons and glial cells.
What discovery did Sam Weiss and his colleagues make about stem cells?
Stem cells remain capable of producing neurons and glia into early adulthood
This implies that neurons that die in an adult brain should be replaceable.