Development Flashcards
motor development
way in which individuals acquire the ability to move around or perform tasks
occurs in
occurs in characteristic stages
stages of motor development
distinct steps in the acquisition of movement skills in infants
major steps include the infant lifting their head, then rolling over, sitting up, standing up with support, standing on their own, crawling, walking with support, and lastly walking on their own
gross motor skills
movements that require the use of large muscles and muscle groups
tasks include sitting up or standing, and typically develop faster than fine motor skills
fine motor skills
movements that require the use of small muscles, like those in the fingers
include holding a pencil, drawing, and typically develop after gross motor skills
reflex
an innate, involuntary reaction to a stimulus
permanent reflexes
involuntary reactions to stimuli that can be demonstrated by healthy newborns and do not go away with age
breathing reflex
innate control of inhalation and exhalation
eyeblink reflex
involuntary response to a bright light that causes one to close their eyes
pupillary reflex
involuntary response to bright light that causes the constriction of the pupil
swallowing reflex
innate knowledge of how to control the muscles of the tongue and throat in order to move food through the mouth to the esophagus
neonatal reflexes (primitive reflex)
involuntary reactions to stimuli that can be demonstrated by healthy newborns, but will be grown out of
rooting reflex
involuntary response to a touch on the cheek that causes the infant to move their head towards the stimulus
helps the infant locate the mother’s breast or bottle, and it only lasts for the first few weeks of life
Babinski reflex
involuntary response to a touch on the bottom of the foot that causes an infant to curl their toes
happens for unknown reasons and only lasts through the first year of life
Moro reflex
the involuntary response to a quick movement of the head or a loud noise that causes the infant to spread the arms, then retract them, usually while crying and arching the back
lasts through the first 4-6 months of life
tonic neck reflex
involuntary response to turning the neck (involuntary or voluntarily) that causes the infant to stretch the arm that it is turned towards and bend the other
lasts through the first 6 months of life
galant reflex
involuntary response to a touch on the back that causes the infant to move towards the side that was stroked
lasts through the first 6 months of life
palmar grasp reflex
involuntary response to an object touching the palm that causes the infant to close their first and grasp the object
lasts through the first 6 months of life
sucking reflex
involuntary response to an object placed in the mouth that causes the infant to press their lips around it and swallow repeatedly
lasts through the first 3-4 months of life
stepping reflex
involuntary response to being held upright with feet touching the ground that causes an infant to move their legs as if they were trying to walk
lasts through the first 2 months of life
swimming reflex
involuntary response to being put in water that causes the infant to hold their breath and move the arms and legs around
lasts through the first 6 months of life
adolescence
time between puberty and adulthood
often seen as a transition period and the exact age differs between cultures
puberty
process of sexual maturation that typically takes about 2 years to complete in humans
milestones of puberty
markings of progress in sexual maturation, usually the first ejaculation in males and the first menstrual cycle in females
primary sex characteristics
development of reproductive organs that make reproduction possible
secondary sex characteristics
development of qualities during puberty that are important, but not necessary for reproduction
examples: development of facial hair and a low voice in males, breasts and wide hips in females
brain development in puberty
changes in the brain include increases in the myelination, synaptic pruning/a decrease in brain volume, and changes to specific brain regions that occur during adolescence
specific changes include the maturation of the prefrontal cortex, limbic system (specifically the amygdala and hypothalamus), and the corpus callosum
prefrontal cortex
part of the brain responsible for attention, planning, decision making, and inhibiting certain behaviors
limbic system
a network in the brain that is situated on top of the brain stem and is heavily involved in the processing of emotions, behavior, and long-term memory
amygdala
part of the limbic system located below the thalamus that regulates the autonomic nervous system by controlling the release of hormones
matures during puberty
corpus callosum
group of nerve fibers that form the connection between the two hemispheres of the brain
the connections it makes between language areas stop developing after puberty
temperament
a person or infant’s nature or characteristic emotional reactivity that seems to be relatively stable throughout life
easy, difficult, or withdrawn are common examples
behavior genetics
field that examines what characteristics of personality and behavior are due to environment or heredity
heredity
the passing of traits through genetics from generation to generation
percentage of variability between organisms that is due to genetics
traits
distinguishing attributes that vary between individuals
gene
portion of DNA that codes for a single protein
they are inherited from parents and can be considered the unit of heredity
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
molecule that codes for and contains genetic information
chromosome
long strand of coiled DNA
humans typically have 46 (23 from each parent)
genome
entire set of DNA present in each cell
half is contributed by each parent
molecular genetics
field that examines genes in their structure and function
central dogma
a section of DNA (gene) is transcribed into a strand of RNA, which is then translated into a protein
proteins
molecules composed of amino acids that are coded for in genes
differences in expressions of proteins determines traits and differences between people
pheromones
molecules that cause a change in the expression of proteins when they are detected by the olfactory sense
gene regulation
way in which environmental and intrinsic factors control how portions of DNA are transcribed and expressed
human genome
entire set of DNA a human has, including non-coding DNA and 30,000 genes
contained in 46 chromosomes that have been mapped out to be studied
epigenetics
a field of study that examines the modifications to DNA that do not change the DNA sequence but still affect the transcription and expression of genes
methylation
addition of a CH3 group to a gene in order to decrease its expression
gene-environment interaction
way that both nature and nurture play a role in expression of genes
phenylketonuria (PKU)
disease that exemplifies the interaction between genetics and the environment in controlling outcomes
caused by a genetic mutation in the gene for phenylalanine hydroxylase (a liver enzyme), resulting in a damaging buildup of phenylalanine in the brain
however, this only becomes a problem if the diet contains enough phenylalanine
behavior
a response to the environment that can be both internal and external
adaptation
change that results in the organism being better suited for its environment (implying better reproductive results)
ethology
field of study that examines observable animal behavior including human behavior
innate behavior
responses to the environment that are genetically coded, intrinsic, consistent/not easily changed, and do not develop over time
orientation behaviors
innate response to the environment that results in the organism moving through the environment towards a more favorable place
kinesis
innate reaction to a stimulus that causes a change in speed or rate
orthokinesis
innate, involuntary change in the speed of some movement in reaction to a stimulus
klinokinesis
innate, involuntary change in rate or frequency of a reaction to a stimulus
taxis
innate reaction that causes movement towards or away from a stimulus
fixed action pattern
an innate, involuntary reaction to a stimulus that does not require thought and results in coordinated movements
learned behavior
persistent changes in reactions to stimuli as a result of experience
they are not innate, are determined by environment, an can develop over time or through practice
complex behavior
innate response to stimuli that can develop over time or with practice, depending on the environment
example: animal learning to fly
positive feedback
process whose outcome serves to increase the original stimulus
requires an outside influence to stop
negative feedback
process that works to decrease the stimulus that causes it
self-regulating and turn themselves off
feedback loops of the menstrual cycle
release of estrogen by the ovaries triggers the release of GnRH and LH and stimulates the production of more estrogen
stopped when LH levels are high enough to cause progesterone to be released, lowering the levels of GnRH and LH
hypothalamus
releases GnRH in response to estrogen during the menstrual cycle
GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone)
released by hypothalamus and acts on anterior pituitary
triggers release of follicle stimulating hormone FSH and LH luteinizing hormone
anterior pituitary during the menstrual cycle
releases LH during the menstrual cycle when triggered by GnRH
luteinizing hormone and the menstrual cycle
hormone released during the menstrual cycle when the anterior pituitary is stimulated by GnRH
part of a positive feedback loop, triggers the production of more estrogen, causing more GnRH production and release
progesterone
a sex hormone closely related to pregnancy and fetal development
contributes to the negative feedback loop of the menstrual cycle
estrogen
main female sex hormone produced in the ovaries
released in low levels and begins a positive feedback loop with LH and GnRH
