CC 811 Chap 5 Flashcards
Celiac Disease
An inherited digestive problem in which gluten (the proteins found in all wheat products) triggers an immune response that damages the small intestine.
Catch-up Growth
A phenomenon in which children (i.e., those with celiac disease) who have experienced growth deficits will grow rapidly and catch up with the growth trajectory they are genetically programmed to follow.
Endocrine Gland(s)
Organs in the endocrine or hormonal system that secret chemicals called “hormones” directly into the bloodstream.
Pituitary Gland
Perhaps the most critical of the endocrine glands; the so-called “master gland” located at the base of the brain; controlled by the hypothalamus; triggers the release of hormones from all other endocrine glands by sending hormonal messages to those glands.
Growth Hormone
The hormone responsible for triggering specialized hormones the directly regulate growth.
Androgens
Male hormones that help trigger the adolescent growth spurt and the development of the male sex organs, secondary sex characteristics, and sexual motivation.
Estrogen
The female hormone responsible for the development of the breasts, the female sex organs, and secondary sex characteristics and for the beginning of menstrual cycles.
Neuron
The basic unit of the nervous system; a nerve cell.
Synapse
The point at which the axon or dendrite of one neuron makes a connection with another neuron.
Myelination
The depositing of a fatty sheath around neural axons that insulates them and thereby speeds the transmission of neural impulses.
Plasticity
An openness of the brain cells (or of the organism as a whole) to positive and negative environmental influence; a capacity to change in response to experience.
Lateralization
The specialization of the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex of the brain.
Neurogenesis
The process of generating new neurons across the lifespan.
Cephalocaudal Principle
The principle that growth proceeds fromt the head (cephalic region) to the tail (caudal region).
Proximodistal Principle
In development, the principle that growth proceeds from the center of the body (or the proximal region) to the extremities (the distal regions).
Orthogenetic Principle
Werner’s principle that development proceeds from global and undifferentiated states toward more differentiated and integrated patterns of response.
Reflex
An unlearned and automatic response to a stimulus.
REM Sleep
A state of active, irregular sleep associated with dreaming; named for the rapid eye movements associated with it.
Developmental Norm
The age at which half of a large group of infants or children master a skill or display a behavior; the average age for achieving a milestone in development.
Gross Motor Skills
Skills that involve large muscles and whole body or limb movements (for example, kicking the legs or drawing large circles). Contrast with fine motor skills.
Fine Motor Skills
Skills that involve precise movements of the hands and fingers or feet and toes. Contrast with gross motor skills.
Locomotion
The process of moving from one location to another.
Ulnar Grasp
Holding objects by clamping them between the palm of the hand and the fingers.
Pincer Grasp
A grasp in which the thumb is used in opposition to the fingers, enabling an infant to become more dexterous at listing and manipulating objects.
Rhythmic Stereotypies
Repetitive movements observed in infants shortly before a new motor skill emerges.
Dynamic Systems Theory
A perspective on development applied to motor development which proposes that more sophisticated patterns of motor behavior emerge over time through a “self-organizing” process in which children modify their motor behavior in adaptive ways on the basis of the sensory feedback they receive when they try different movements.
Congenital Malformations
Defects that are present at birth and are caused by genetic factors, prenatal events, or both.
Reaction Time
The interval between the presentation of a stimulus and a response to it.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
An indicator of body fat calculated from a person’s height and weight.
Obesity
Condition of being overweight; specifically between 20% or more above the “ideal” weight for one’s height, age and sex.
Puberty
The point at which a person reaches sexual maturity and is physically capable of conceiving a child.
Adolescent Growth Spurt
The rapid increase in physical growth that occurs during adolescence.
Adrenarche
A period of increased production of adrenal hormones, starting around 6-8 years of age, that normall precedes increased production of gonadal hormones associated with puberty.
Semenarche
A boy’s first ejaculation.
Secular Trend
A trend in industrialized society toward earlier maturation and greater body size.
Constitutional Growth Delay
Children who are small for age (at or below the 5th percentile on a growth chart) and late entering puberty, but growing at a normal or near-normal pace.
Diabetes
A metabolic disorder characterized by high levels of glucose or sugar in the blood leading to symptoms of thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, and problems involving eyes, kidneys and other organs.
Reserve Capacity
The ability of any many organ systems to respond to demands for extraordinary output, such as when the heart and lungs work at maximal capacity.
Ageism
Prejudice against elderly people.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Several symptoms experienced shortly before each menstrual period that include having tender breasts, feelings bloated and being irritable and moody.
Menopause
The ending of a woman’s menstrual periods and reproductive capacity around age 51.
Hot Flash
The sudden experience of warmth and sweating, often followed by a cold shiver, that occurs in menopausal women.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Taking estrogen and progestin to compensate for hormone loss because of menopause in women.
Andropause
The slower and less dramatic male counterpart of “menopause”, characterized by decreasing levels of testosterone and symptoms that include low libido, fatigue and lack of energy, erection problems, memory problems, and loss of pubic hair.
Osteoporosis
A disease affecting older adults in which bone tissue is lost, leaving bones fragile and easily fractured.
Osteoarthritis
A joint problem among older adults resulting from gradual deterioration of the cartilage that cushions the bones and keeps them from rubbing together.
Menarche
A female’s first menstrual period.
