Development - Early Brain Development

Question 1

Highly developed at birth.
Connects brain to the spinal cord. Carries motor and sensory nerves to the brain from the body.
Controls autonomic functions, e.g. heartbeat, breathing, etc.

Answer 1

Brain stem

Question 2

Matures late in development.
Located near the top of the spinal cord.
Main role is the coordination of movement and sensory information (sensorimotor).

Answer 2

Cerebellum

Question 3

Located deep inside the brain in each hemisphere.

Acts as a hub of information receiving signals from other areas of the brain and sending these signals on.

Answer 3

Thalamus

Question 4

Cortex is thin and covers the brain. It is highly folded.
Divided in two hemispheres and several regions: frontal cortex (thinking), visual and auditory cortex (sight and hearing), motor cortex (movement).
At birth the cortex is basic and develops through life.

Answer 4

Cortex

Question 5

What is nature and nurture

Answer 5

Nature is the influence of things you have inherited.
Nurture is the influence of your environment on your development.
Smoking

Question 6

What effect can smoking have on babies development

Answer 6

Mothers who smoke during pregnancy can have smaller babies with smaller brains as nicotine slows brain growth.

Question 7

What effect can infection (German measles) have on babies development

Answer 7

Mothers who get German measles during pregnancy can have babies with brain damage, such as hearing loss.

Question 8

What effect does voices have on babies development

Answer 8

Babies learn to recognise their mother’s voice and even respond to book passages that had been read to them in the womb (DeCasper and Spence).

Question 9

Interaction between nature and nurture

Answer 9

Your brain is formed due to nature but even in the womb your environment influences the development of the brain.
It is nature and nurture rather than just one or the other.