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Developmental > Brain Development > Flashcards

Brain Development Flashcards

1
Q

What is morphogenesis?

A

biological processes that causes a cell, tissue or organism to develop it’s shape

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2
Q

Stages of prenatal development of the brain

A

fertilisation
germinal
Embryonic
Fetal
Birth

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3
Q

What is the Germinal stage?

A

first stage of prenatal development that doesn’t involve direct development of the brain but instead formation of zygote that contains DNA

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4
Q

What is the Embryonic stage?

A

when brain forms an embryonic structure called neural tube which develops into spinal cord

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5
Q

What is the fetal stage?

A

where brain undergoes significant changes

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6
Q

What is 1 characteristic of the early brain?

A

a tube
known as neural tube

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7
Q

What is the Prosencephalon?

A

front part of the brain
forebrain

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8
Q

What is the Mesencephalon?

A

midbrain

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9
Q

What is the Rhombencephalon?

A

hindbrain

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10
Q

Neural development develops in these stages…

A
  • cell proliferation
  • cell migration
  • cell differentiation
  • programmed cell death (apoptosis)
  • synaptic elimination / rearrangement
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11
Q

What is cell proliferation?

A

massive production of cells through cell growth and division (2-4m of gestation)
continues until birth

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12
Q

What is cell migration?

A

Immature neurons migrate to reach target layer (this creates layers of cortex)
new created cells travel through embryonic brain through ‘ladder’

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13
Q

What is cell differentiation?

A

all neurons comes from precursor cells (undifferentiated cells)
when they migrate, they also differentiate
neural progenitor becomes neuron
glial progenitor becomes glia

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14
Q

What happens to the axon as cells differentiate?

A

axons extend to find appropriate target
top of axon is guided by special proteins which are repulsed by others until they find neurons to connect with

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15
Q

What is apoptosis?

A

programmed cell death
discarded neurons that didn’t connect with others
input neurons find target neurons and some miss target so slowly disappear

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16
Q

What is synaptic elimination?

A

eliminate synapses (wires) that don’t receive signal
crazy wiring = not efficient

17
Q

What is vision like in infants?

A

immature
(at 6 months perception is blurry)
only see world in 2 dimension

18
Q

What is face perception like In infants?

A

infants have slower timing than adults but eletrical pattern when processing visual stimuli is the same

19
Q

What is sound perception like in infants?

A

foetus can perceive external sounds
newborns can discriminate mothers voice and recognise songs
starts slow then rapidly evolves

20
Q

What is language like in infants?

A

it’s prewired

21
Q

What is plasticity?

A

brain’s ability to reorganise and adapt

22
Q

Key biological changes in adolescent

A

physical
bone growth
increase in muscle mass and strength
rapid growth in puberty

23
Q

Key psychosocial changes in adolescent

A

personality
adopts social duties
own decisions and choices
shift from dependence to independence

24
Q

What’s the most important factor of brain development in adolescence?

A

wiring of new connections between cells which makes biggest transformation
brain forms new synapses for synaptic density

25
Q

Brain development in adolescent

A

synaptic proliferation
synaptic pruning
myelination

26
Q

What is synaptic proliferation?

A

process of forming synapses in the brain, also known as synaptogenesis

27
Q

What is synaptic pruning?

A

removing extra neurons and synapses

28
Q

What is myelination?

A

myelin sheath formed

29
Q

What have MRI scans found for ongoing cortical maturation in adolescence?

A

found an increase in white matter
decrease in grey matter
peak of grey matter found at onset of puberty (decrease related to synaptic pruning)

30
Q

What did Steinberg say about adolescents cognitive functioning?

A

adolescent increases novelty seeking triggered by drive for short term reward

31
Q

Mental health in adolescents before puberty

A

depression occurs at the same rate for boys and girls

32
Q

Mental health in adolescents after puberty

A

increase in incidence of depression in adolescent girls

33
Q

What are characteristics of the adult brain?

A

laminars (layers) of cortex, neurons are organised across diff layers
diff layers have diff roles
microglia (acts as nurse for neurons)
all areas connected through ‘wires’

34
Q

What is Microglia?

A

resident cells that acts as nurse for neurons by providing food

Developmental (13 decks)

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