Chapter 3 Flashcards
Malnourished
Being small for one’s age due to inadequate nutrition
Neuron
Basic cellular unit of the brain and nervous system that specializes in receiving and transmitting info
Cell Body
Center of the neuron that keeps the neuron alive
Dendrite
End of the neuron that receives info
Axon
Tube like structure that emerges from the cell body and transmits info to other neurons
Terminal Buttons
Small knobs at the end of the axon that release neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters
chemicals released by the terminal buttons that allow neurons to communicate with each other
Cerebral Cortex
Wrinkled surface of the brain that regulates many that are distinctly human
Hemispheres
Right and left halves of the cortex
Corpus Callosum
Thick bundle of neurons that connect the two hemispheres together
Frontal Cortex
Brain region that regulates personality and goal directed behavior
Neural Plate
Flat group of cells present in prenatal development that becomes the brain and the spinal cord
Myelin
Fatty sheath that wraps around neurons and enables them to transmit info more rapidly
Synaptic Pruning
Gradual reduction in the number of synapses in the infancy and the continuing until early adolescence
Electroencephalograph
The study of brain waves recorded from electrodes that are placed on the scalp
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Method of studying brain activity by using magnetic fields to track blood flow in the brain
Experience-Expectant Growth
Process by which the wiring of the brain is organized by experiences that are common to most humans
Experience-Dependent Growth
Process by which and individual’s unique experiences over a lifetime affect brain structures and organization
Motor Skills
Coordinated movements of the muscles and limbs
Locomote
Ability to move around in the world
Fine Motor Skills
Motor skills associated with grasping, holding, and manipulating objects
Toddling
Early unsteady form of walking done by infants
Toddlers
Young children who have just learned to walk
Dynamic Systems Theory
Theory that views motor development as involving many distinct skills that are organized over time to meet specific skills
Differentiation
Distinguishing and mastering individual motions
Integration
Linking individual motions into a coherent coodinated whole
Perception
Process by which the brain receives, selects, modifies, and organizes incoming nerve impulses that are the result of physical stimulation
Visual Acuity
Smallest pattern that one can distinguish reliably
Cones
Specialized neurons in the back of the eye that sense color
Visual Cliff
Glass covered platform that appears to have a “shallow” and a “deep” side; used to study infants depth perception
Kinetic Cues
Cues to depth perception in which motion is used to estimate depth
Visual Expansion
Kinetic cue to depth perception that is based on the fact that an object that an object fills an ever-greater proportion of the retina as it moves closer
Motion Parallax
Kinetic cue to depth perception based on the fact that nearby moving objects move across our visual field faster than distant objects do
Retinal Disparity
Way of inferring depth based on differences in the retinal images in the left and right eyes
Pictorial Cues
Cues to depth perception that are used to convey depth in drawings and paintings
Linear Perspective
A cue to depth perception based on the fact that the texture of the objects to coarse and distinct for nearby to finer and less distinct for distant object
Theory of Mind
Ideas about connection between thoughts, beliefs, intentions, and behaviors that create and intuitive understanding of the link between mind and behavior
