Chapter 4: Biological Development Throughout the Life Span

Question 1

Psychologists studying development make a distinction between developmental changes that are the result of ____ versus changes due to maturation.

Answer 1

learning

Question 2

_____ is a term used to describe a genetically programmed biological plan of development that is relatively independent of experience.

Answer 2

maturation

Question 3

Changes in teh three ares of development — biological development, cognitive development, and psychosocial development – differ in the degree to which they are controlled by _____ versus maturation.

Answer 3

experience

Question 4

Biological development is an area controlled substantially by ____ but still affected to some degree by environmental influences.

Answer 4

maturation

Question 5

Evolutionary psychologists study species ______, that is the traits and behaviors that are common in all humans.

Answer 5

heredity

Question 6

Thousands of ____ on the 46 chromosomes found in the nucleus of each cell in the human body control inheritance.

Answer 6

genes

Question 7

Chromosomes are arranged in _____.

Answer 7

pairs

Question 8

____ of these pairs are called autosomes and carry genetic material that controls all of our characteristics with the exception of biological sex.

Answer 8

22

Question 9

The 22 pairs of autosomes are the ___ in males and females.

Answer 9

same

Question 10

The two chromosomes of the 23rd pair are called the ____.

Answer 10

sex chromosomes

Question 11

In normal females, the sex chromosomes pair is _____.

Answer 11

XX

Question 12

In normal males, the sex chromosome pair is ____.

Answer 12

XY

Question 13

Biological parents pass on one set of 23 chromosomes in each ______ or _____.

Answer 13

sperm cell

ovum

Question 14

The mother can only pass on an ____ sex chromosome since she has an XX pair.

Answer 14

X

Question 15

The father can pass on _____ chromosome in each sperm cell.

Answer 15

either an X or Y

Question 16

The biological father’s sperm cell determines the ____ of the offspring.

Answer 16

sex

Question 17

When the sperm cell of the biological father penetrates and fertilizes an ovum (egg cell) from the biological mother, ____ occurs and a _____ is formed.

Answer 17

conception

zygote

Question 18

The ____ contains the 23 pairs of chromosomes that control its maturation.

Answer 18

zygote

Question 19

Some of the genes controlling our characteristics are dominant while others are _____.

Answer 19

recessive

Question 20

A _____ gene will always be expressed regardless of what type of gene it is paired with.

Answer 20

dominant

Question 21

A ___ trait can only be expressed as a characteristic of the individual if the individual inherited a recessive recessive pair gene pair.

Answer 21

recessive

Question 22

_____ is term used to describe all of the traits carried in a person’s genetic material, including recessive traits.

Answer 22

genotype

Question 23

The characteristics that are actually expressed are referred to as an individual’s _____.

Answer 23

phenotype

Question 24

_____ is available to help couples make decisions about childbearing given their chances of passing on genetic diseases to their offspring.

Answer 24

genetic counselling

Question 25

Some developmental abnormalities have a genetic basis, but there are several different mechanisms of ____ that produce an individual inherits these abnormalities.

Answer 25

inheritance

Question 26

_____ gene pair inheritance is when an individual inherits a gen pair that controls a trait or causes a diseas.

Answer 26

single

Question 27

Sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, ____ huntington’s disease and tay-sachs disease are all caused by single gene-pair inheritance. All of these are recesive traits, except for _____.

Answer 27

PKU

huntington’s disease

Question 28

_____ inheritance is when a trait or disease like color blindness or hemophilia is carried by a gene on the sex chromosomes.

Answer 28

sex-linked

Question 29

_____ inheritance is when multiple genes work together to produce a trait. Most of our traits are controlled by this type of inheritance.

Answer 29

polygenetic

Question 30

Abnormalities can also be caused by chromosomal abnormalities and ______.

Answer 30

genetic mutations

Question 31

A _____ is a change to the structure of inherited genetic material that occurs spontaneously or is the result of envirnomnetal toxins.

Answer 31

genetic mutation

Question 32

______ abnormalities occur if a child has inherited too few, too many, or abnormal chromosomes.

Answer 32

chromosomal

Question 33

Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, is caused by having ___ rather than two chromosomes at the 21st position.

Answer 33

three

Question 34

Turner syndrome occurs when a female is born with only one ___ chromosme.

Answer 34

X

Question 35

Kleinefelter’s syndrome occurs when a male is born with an extra ____ chromosem.

Answer 35

X

Question 36

The ____ is the system of the body responsible for managing hormone levels in the blood stream.

Answer 36

endocrine system

Question 37

The ___ gland is called the master gland because it causes other glands to secrete hormones.

Answer 37

pituitary

Question 38

The pituitary gland is controlled by the hypothalamus of the ____.

Answer 38

brain

Question 39

The pituitary gland secretes _____ which stimulates physical growth and development.

Answer 39

growth hormone (GH)

Question 40

____ secreted from the pituitary gland stimulate the adolescent growth spurt.

Answer 40

hormones

Question 41

The ____ gland also controls physical growth and development and development of the nervous system.

Answer 41

thyroid

Question 42

The thyroid gland secretes the hormone _____. Without adequate levels of this infants become mentally retarded. Early treatment is effective and children who develop a ____ deficiency after brain maturation is completed have stunted physical growth but no intellectual disability.

Answer 42

thyroxin

thyroxin

Question 43

Males and females have differing levels of ____ hormones in the body.

Answer 43

sex

Question 44

Sex hormones called ____ control the development of sex organs as well as secondary sex characteristics.

Answer 44

androgens

Question 45

The _____ secrete the male hormone testosterone which stimulates the development of male reproductive organs in the fetus and inhibits the development of the female reproductive organs.

Answer 45

testes

Question 46

In the ___ month of prenatal development, the penis and scrotum appear in the male and female genitalia are present in the female.

Answer 46

third

Question 47

In females, the ovaries are the _____ glands that control sexual maturation.

Answer 47

endocrine

Question 48

Ovaries produce ______ and progesterone.

Answer 48

estrogen

Question 49

There is a relationship between ____ and hormone secretions in the body.

Answer 49

stress

Question 50

Under stressful conditions, the body secretes stress hormones that control our body’s ______ response.

Answer 50

flight or fight

Question 51

______ and cortisol are some of these stress hormones.

Answer 51

Adrenalin

Question 52

Researchers suggest the long-term effect of high ____ levels in the blood is reduced immune response.

Answer 52

cortisol

Question 53

During pregnancy, stress is _____ because it draws blood flow away from the fetus and to the muscles of the mother which deprives the fetus of oxygen.

Answer 53

debilatative

Question 54

Adrenalin and cortisol can pass through the ______ and cause an increase in fetal heart rate. This can cause stunted prenatal growth, low birth weight and ____ complications.

Answer 54

placenta

birth

Question 55

Studies suggest that infants born to mothers who were stressed during pregnancy have a _____ reactivity to stress in their own life and reduced physcholigcal ability to manage stress in their own life.

Answer 55

heightened

Question 56

_____ development refers to the period of development from conception to birth and divided into three trimesters.

Answer 56

prenatal

Question 57

The ____ trimester, or germinal period, lasts for the first 13 weeks of the pregnancy.

Answer 57

first

Question 58

The _____ trimester, or period of the embryo, lasts from the 14th to the 27th week.

Answer 58

second

Question 59

The _____ trimester or period of the ____, lasts from the 28th week until birth.

Answer 59

third

fetus

Question 60

The average pregnancy lasts ____ days or 40 weeks.

Answer 60

270

Question 61

There are two type of ____ pairs.

Answer 61

twin

Question 62

______ pairs or identical twins.

Answer 62

monozygotic

Question 63

____ pairs or fraternal twins.

Answer 63

dizygotic

Question 64

Dizygotic twins are the result of ____ ova being fertilized by two different sperm cells at the same time.

Answer 64

two

Question 65

______ involves injecting sperm from the father into the uterus of his partner.

Answer 65

artificial insemination

Question 66

____ fertilization is wen a sperm cell fertilizes an ovum outside the mother’s body and then the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus.

Answer 66

in vitro

Question 67

The ____ provides nourishment and allows wastes to pass out to the mother. It develops during the first trimester or the _____ stage.

Answer 67

placenta

germinal

Question 68

The _____ cord carries nourishment from and waste to the placenta. Thin membranes keep fatal and maternal blood streams separate.

Answer 68

umbilical cord

Question 69

During the embryo stage the embryo is only about an ___ long at the end.

Answer 69

inch

Question 70

Major birth defects are often due to problems that occur during the ____ stage.

Answer 70

embryo

Question 71

The _____ is a fluid filled sac that surrounds the embryo, protects and provides a constant temperature for the embryo.

Answer 71

amniotic sac

Question 72

During the ____ stage muscles and bones form. Vital organs continue to grow and begin to function.

Answer 72

fetus or third trimester

Question 73

During the last three months of prenatal develop the ____ develops rapidly.

Answer 73

brain

Question 74

A babies heart begins to pump during the _____ weeks.

Answer 74

3rd and 4th

Question 75

During the ____ week eyes begin to form as well as the digestive system.

Answer 75

4th

Question 76

Prenatal development is most successful if the mother has good prenatal medical care, good nutrition and is between the ages of 16 and ____.

Answer 76

35

Question 77

______ are many agents that may cross the placental barrier from mother to embryo/fetus causing abnormalities.

Answer 77

teratogens

Question 78

Possible teratogens include maternal diseases, diet, drug use, exposure to x rays and _____.

Answer 78

other environmental influences

Question 79

What abnormalities occur from teratogens depend on the _____ of exposure, what is developing prenatally, as well as what the harmful agent is.

Answer 79

time

Question 80

During the ____ and ____ trimester so many vital organs and body parts are developing during these stages, harmful agents are especially dangerous. This time is called the ____.

Answer 80

first and third

critical period

Question 81

_____ involves testing fetal cells in amniotic fluid removed from the amniotic sac in the uterus for indicators of genetic abnormalities.

Answer 81

amniocentesis

Question 82

The disadvantage of an amniocentesis is that is cannot be doe until the ____ week of pregnancy.

Answer 82

16th

Question 83

_______ can be done as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.

Answer 83

chorionic villus sampling (CVS).

Question 84

In CVS, tiny ____ cells of a membrane surrounding the fetus (called the chorion) are extracted via a small tube inserted into the vagina. These cells contain genetic material from the fetus.

Answer 84

hair

Question 85

The birth process is a several stage process including labor, delivery of the fetus, and _____ of teh placenta.

Answer 85

delivery

Question 86

______ is a condition caused by reduced oxygen from to the fetus during birth.

Answer 86

anoxia

Question 87

The harm to the baby from anoxia depends on the degree and ____ of the oxygen deprivation.

Answer 87

length of time

Question 88

The ____ was developed as a quick way to assess the overall condition of the neonates immediately after birth and again ____ minutes after birth.

Answer 88

Apgar scale

Question 89

_________ is an alternative birthing method in which the fetus is surgicaly removed from the uterus of the mother.

Answer 89

caesarian section

Question 90

For the first ____ years after birth, there is a brain growth spurt involving both the production of neurons and neural circuits, as well as this pruning.

Answer 90

two years

Question 91

There are two hemispheres of the ____ of the human brain.

Answer 91

cerebral cortex

Question 92

In most people, the ____ hemisphere controls the right side of the body and the ____ hemisphere controls the left side.

Answer 92

left

right

Question 93

The ___ hemisphere generally controls language processing.

Answer 93

left

Question 94

The ____ hemisphere controls spatial processing although this is an oversimplification.

Answer 94

right

Question 95

The specialization of the hemispheres is called brain ________.

Answer 95

lateralization

Question 96

The ____ is a reflex causing the extention of arms when an infant feels a loss of support.

Answer 96

moro

Question 97

The ____ reflex occurs when the toes spread as the bottom of the foot is stimulated.

Answer 97

babinski

Question 98

____ is a reflex in which by squeezing any object placed in the hand.

Answer 98

grasping

Question 99

The ____ reflex and the eye blink reflex, that protects the eye from injury, have survival value.

Answer 99

suckling reflex

Question 100

The _______ principle of development describes the center-out-ward direction of motor development.

Answer 100

proximodistal

i.e. children gain control of their torso before their extremities

Question 101

The ____ principle describes the head-to-foot direction of motor development.

Answer 101

cephalocaudal

i.e. children tend to gain control over the upper portions of the bodies before the lower part.

Question 102

Children generally master ____ motor skills, before ___ motor skills.

Answer 102

gross

fine

Question 103

Gross motor skills require the coordination of ____ parts of the body, while fine motor skills involve ____, coordinated movements of the hands, fingers and toes.

Answer 103

large

small

Question 104

Infants show a fairly well-developed ____ motor skill of manipulating objects with their fingers by about 9 to 12 months of age.

Answer 104

fine

Question 105

The average newborn is ____ inches long and weighs between ____ pounds.

Answer 105

20 inches

7 to 7.5 lbs

Question 106

Infants reach about half of their adult height by the age of ____.

Answer 106

two

Question 107

The period of infancy shows rapid growth called a _____.

Answer 107

growth spurt

Question 108

_____ is the coating of the part of a neuron called the axon with fatty material. This may be what is responsible for the increased reaction time in older compared to younger children.

Answer 108

myelination

Question 109

During childhood, and throughout the rest of life, the _____ circuitry of the brain continues to change and develop.

Answer 109

neural

Question 110

In childhood, brain laterilzation becomes stronger as parts of the cortex take over ____ functions.

Answer 110

different

Question 111

The part of the cerebral cortex called the ____ cortex maturing during adolescence.

Answer 111

prefrontal

Question 112

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for _____ thinking and processing of complex information.

Answer 112

higher order

Question 113

The full weight of the brain is achieved by the age of ____.

Answer 113

16

Question 114

The adolescent growth spurt in males is triggered by the _____ secreting large amounts of testosterone and other male sex hormones.

Answer 114

testes

Question 115

The increase in ______ levels in the blood causes a rapid growth spurt and growth of male sex organs.

Answer 115

androgen

Question 116

GH and ______ are also secreted in larger quantities and stimulate body size increases and skeletal maturity.

Answer 116

thyroxin

Question 117

In females, the _____ secrete an increased amount of estrogen which in turn triggers the production of GH and leads to the female adolescent growth spurt.

Answer 117

ovaries

Question 118

The female hormone secretions during the growth spurt stimulate the development of the breasts, pubic hair, uterus, and _____. They also trigger an increase in fat storage.

Answer 118

vagina

Question 119

The adrenal glands, which produce adrenalin, also contribute to bone and muscle growth and physical maturation in ______.

Answer 119

females

Question 120

Females reach their full height by around the age of ____, four years ahead of males.

Answer 120

16

Question 121

Along with the adolescent growth spurt is _____, achieving full sexual maturity.

Answer 121

puberty

Question 122

Females generally are thought to have reached puberty at ______ (the first menstrual cycle) although some girls may not be able to produce for several years after menarche.

Answer 122

menarche

Question 123

The average age of menarch is ____ years but can range in ages from 11 to 15.

Answer 123

12 1/2

Question 124

At about age ______, boys will experience their first ejaculation which marks puberty for them. However, ejaculation does not necessarily mean sperm are viable enough to reproduce.

Answer 124

13

Question 125

The ____ of the adolescent growth spurt has been shown to have psychosocial affects on adolescents.

Answer 125

timing

Question 126

______ maturing boys and late maturing girls tend to have the best psychosocial outcomes.

Answer 126

early

Question 127

Late maturing boys and ____ maturing girls fair worse in psychosocial otucomes.

Answer 127

early

Question 128

Early maturing boys may benefit from being ______ and appearing older than their late maturing counterparts.

Answer 128

larger

Question 129

Early maturing girls, on the other hand, may face challenges from having and early _____ and/or because other people may treat them as if they were more mature and expect them to act as if they were older.

Answer 129

menarche

Question 130

There is a growing concern in our country about the rising rates of _____ in children and adolescents.

Answer 130

obesity

Question 131

______ is defined as weighing 20 percent more than the average for people of similar age, height, body type and sex.

Answer 131

obesity

Question 132

Obesity correlates with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and ______ problems.

Answer 132

liver and kidney

Question 133

Adolescents have a greater risk of obesity than _____ because their metabolism rates start to decline. This risk continues to climb in adulthood as metabolism continues to slow down.

Answer 133

children

Question 134

The brain continues to show plasticity and develops/prunes _____ circuits throughout the adulthood. However, along with this growth there are declines that are the result of normal or biological aging.

Answer 134

neural

Question 135

Normal changes in the brain include a slowing of the transmission of neural messages, decreased blood flow to the brain, loss of neurons, loss of brain weight, and decreased amount of ______ - the chemicals that form connections between neurons at the synapses. There is a slowing of neural processign associated with normal aging and a loss of brain mass, but new neural circuits can continue to be formed to replace those lost.

Answer 135

neurotransmitters

Question 136

The body reaches full adult size at the end of ______.

Answer 136

adolescence.

Question 137

Most of the physical functions of the body are at peak levels of performance in early adulthood and then begin a slow, but steady, ______.

Answer 137

decline

Question 138

Researchers studying aging generally agree that there is an inevitable process of ________ that eventually would cause death even in the absence of disease.

Answer 138

biological aging

Question 139

Maximum length of life is different from ________.

Answer 139

life expectancy

Question 140

_______ is the average length of life expected for members of a particular birth cohort.

Answer 140

life expectancy

Question 141

Researchers ______ on the nature and cause of biological aging. One theory, the wear and tear theory, suggests the human body, like a machine, eventually wears out from normal use. However, continued physical activity in adulthood has been shown to correlate with both physical activity in adulthood has been shown to correlate with both physical as well as ______.

Answer 141

disagree

mental health

Question 142

Some researchers argue that biological aging is in part due to the gradual failure of the ______.

Answer 142

endocrine system

Question 143

The gradual decrease in ___ that occurs with age is associated with loss of muscle and bone mass, an increase in body fat, thinning of the skin, and a decrease in cardiovascular functioning.

Answer 143

GH

Question 144

Diet and ______ have been found to partially mitigate these effects.

Answer 144

physical exercise

Question 145

A decrease in secretions from the _____ is also correlated with age.

Answer 145

thymus

Question 146

Secretions from the thymus help in the body’s immune _____.

Answer 146

response

Question 147

Stress hormones discussed earlier also decrease the body’s _____.

Answer 147

immune response

Question 148

Hormones also control the _______ or menopause in females.

Answer 148

climacteric

Question 149

The climateric is the _______ of a female’s reproductive capacity.

Answer 149

cessation

Question 150

The climacteric typically spans a ____ period and usually begins in a woman’s early fifties.

Answer 150

10 year

Question 151

A drop in estrogen levels in the body triggers the ____.

Answer 151

climacteric.

Question 152

Lowered levels of estrogen in the body cause changes in the female’s ______.

Answer 152

sex organs

Question 153

Organs shrink and genitals react more slowly to _______ during menopause.

Answer 153

stimulation

Question 154

______ helps protect against plaque build up on the walls of arteries and helps maintain good bone mas density.

Answer 154

estrogen

Question 155

Lowered levels of estrogen are also associated with mood fluctuations, hot flashes, and _____.

Answer 155

night sweats

Question 156

Hormone therapies have been developed to combat the side effects of menopause. Hormone treatments include _____, which is normally used only with women who have had hysterectomies, or hormone replacement theory.

Answer 156

ERT estrogen replacement therapy

Question 157

There is ongoing controversy about the risks associated with ERT and HRT. If administered late in menopause, HRT may increase the patient’s risk for developing ______, but if started earlier, may actually reduce this risk.

Answer 157

Alzheimer’s disease

Question 158

_____ has been shown in some studies to increase the risk of breast cancer and blood clots.

Answer 158

ERT

Question 159

The male climacteric is caused by decreasing amounts of _____, but it is more gradual, less obvious process compared to the female climacteric. Some men may never lose their reproductive capacity.

Answer 159

testosterone

Question 160

It is difficult to determine if changes in sexual activity or a male’s sexual arousal is due to _______ or other factors.

Answer 160

hormone levels

Question 161

There is a gradual loss of bone density associated with _____.

Answer 161

aging.

Question 162

The loss of bone mass is due to decreased levels of calcium and _____ in the body.

Answer 162

GH

Question 163

Loss of bone density can lead to a bone disease called _____ in which bones are very brittle and may spontaneously fracture.

Answer 163

osteoporosis

Question 164

_____ and calcium supplements have been found to help prevent osteoporosis.

Answer 164

physical activity