Brain development Flashcards
Neurons
Cells that are specialized for sending and receiving messages between the brain and all parts of the body, as well as within the brain itself
Cell body
a component of the neuron that contains the basic biological material that keeps the neuron functioning
Dendrites
Neural fibers that receive input from other cells and conduct it toward the cell body in the form of electrical impulses
Axon
Neural fibers that conduct electrical signal away from the cell body to connections with other neurons
Synapses
Microscopic junctions between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendritic branches or cell body of another
Glial cells
cells in the brain that provide a variety of critical supportive functions
Myelin Sheath
A fatty sheath that forms around certain axons in the body and increases the speed and efficiency of information transmission
Cerebral cortex
the ‘‘gray matter’’ of the brain, consisting of four distinct lobes
Occipital lobe
area of the cortex that primarily involved in processing visual information (helemaal achterin)
temporal Lobe
Area of the cortex that is associated with speech and language, music, and emotional information (midden onder)
parietal Lobe
area of the cortex that is associated with spatial processing and sensory information (Midden boven)
Frontal loba
Area of the cortex that is associated with working memory and cognitive control
association areas
Parts of the brain that lie between the major sensory and motor areas and that process and integrate input from those areas
Electrophysiological Recording
Electrical recording obtained through the scalp are non-invasive and can be used successfully even with very young infants.
Electroencephalographic (EEG)
Recordings of electrical activity generated by neurons are used to study the time course of neural events and brain/behavior relationships.
Event-related potentials (ERPs)
Detect changes in the brain’s electrical activity that occur in response to the presentation of a particular stimulus.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
Detects magnetic fields generated by electrical currents in the brain, localized origin of electrical signal.
cerebral
two halves of the cortex
Corpus callosum
A dense tractor nerve fibers that enable the two hemisphere of the brain to communicate.
Cerebral lateralization
The specialization of the hemispheres of the brain for different modes of processing.
Neurogenis
the proliferation of neurons through cell division
Arborization
Formation of new dendritic trees and branches
Spines
formation on the dendrites of neurons that increase the dendrites’ capacity to form connections with other neurons
Myelination
The formation of myelin (a fatty sheath) around the axons of neurons that speeds and increases information-processing abilities.
Synaptogenesis
The process by which neurons form synapses with other neurons, resulting in trillions of connections.
Synaptic prunning
The normal developmental process through which synapses that are rarely activated are eliminated.
Plasticity
The capacity of the brain to be affected by experience
Experience-expectant plasticity
The process through which the normal wiring of the brain occurs in part as a result of species-typical experiences.
Experience-dependent plasticity
The process through which neural connections are created and reorganized throughout life as a function of an individual’s experiences.
Secular trends
Marked changes in physical development that have occurred over generations.
