Exam 2 Flashcards
amnion
A watertight membrane that surrounds the developing embryo, regulating its temperature and cushioning it against injuries.
anencephaly
Condition in which the top of the neural tube fails to close and the main portion of the brain above the brain stem fails to develop properly.
anoxia
A lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain that may result in neurological damage or death.
adrenarche
A period of increased production of adrenal hormones, starting around 6–8 years of age, that normally precedes increased production of gonadal hormones associated with puberty.
androgens
Male hormones that help trigger the adolescent growth spurt and the development of the male sex organs, secondary sex characteristics, and sexual motivation.
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.
antioxidant
Vitamins C, E, and similar substances that may increase longevity, although not for long, by inhibiting the free radical activity associated with oxidation and in turn preventing age-related diseases.
avoidant
relating to or denoting a type of personality or behavior characterized by the avoidance of intimacy or social interaction.
Avoidant attachment
An insecure infant caregiver bond or other intimate relationship characterized by little separation anxiety and a tendency to avoid or ignore the attachment object upon reunion.
attachment
A strong affectional tie that binds a person to an intimate companion and is characterized by affection and a desire to maintain proximity.
Attachment theory
The theory of close relationships developed by Bowlby and Ainsworth and grounded in ethological theory (with psychoanalytic theory and cognitive theory); it says that close emotional bonds such as parent-child attachments are biologically based and contribute to species survival.
blastocyst
A hollow sphere of about 100 to 150 cells that the zygote forms by rapid cell division as it moves through the fallopian tube.
chorion
A membrane that surrounds the amnion and becomes attached to the uterine lining to gather nourishment for the embryo.
couvade
Sympathetic pregnancy, or the experiencing by fathers of some of the same physiological symptoms their pregnant partners experience (for example, bloating, weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, and nausea).
critical period
A defined period in the development of an organism when it is particularly sensitive to certain environmental influences; outside this period, the same influences will have far less effect.
cephalocaudal principle
The principle that growth proceeds from the head (cephalic region) to the tail (caudal region).
companionate love
In Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, affectionate love characterized by high intimacy and commitment but low passion.
consummate love
In Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, love with high levels of all three components of love: passion, intimacy, and decision/commitment.
differentiation
In brain development, the progressive diversification of cells that results in their taking on different characteristics and functions.
Disorganized–disoriented attachment
An insecure infant–caregiver bond, common among abused children, that combines features of the resistant and avoidant attachment styles and is characterized by the infant’s dazed response to reunion and confusion about whether to approach or avoid the caregiver.
emotion regulation
The processes involved in initiating, maintaining, and altering emotional responses.
emotional competence
Mastery of emotions in terms of appropriate expression of emotions, understanding of emotions and what triggers them, and ability to regulate emotions.
emotional display rules
Cultural rules specifying what emotions should and should not be expressed under what circumstances (for example, “look pleased when you receive a lousy gift”).
endocrine glands
A type of gland that secretes chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream. Endocrine glands play critical roles in stimulating growth and regulating bodily functions.
error theories of aging
Theories of aging that call attention to haphazard processes that cause damage or errors in cells to accumulate and organ systems to deteriorate. Contrast with programmed theories of aging.
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.
embryonic period
Second phase of prenatal development, lasting from the third through the eighth prenatal week, during which the major organs and anatomical structures begin to develop.
fetal alcohol syndrome
A group of symptoms commonly observed in the offspring of mothers who use alcohol heavily during pregnancy, including a small head, widely spaced eyes, and mental retardation.
fetal period
The third phase of prenatal development, lasting from the ninth prenatal week until birth; during this period, the major organ systems begin to function effectively and the fetus grows rapidly.
fetal programming
Processes through which the prenatal environment affects the genetic unfolding of the embryo/fetus and its physiologic functions in ways that can influence health and mental health much later in life.
free radicals
Chemically unstable byproducts of metabolism that have an unpaired electron and react with other molecules to produce toxic substances that damage cells and contribute to aging.
germinal period
First phase of prenatal development, lasting about 2 weeks from conception until the developing organism becomes attached to the wall of the uterus.
Hayflick limit
The estimate that human cells can double only 50 times, plus or minus 10, and then will die.
homogamy
Basis for mate selection centered on similarity between partners in demographic and personal characteristics. Contrast with complementarity.
kangaroo care
Holding a young infant skin-to-skin on a parent’s chest; often used with premature babies to help maintain body temperature, heart rate, and oxygen levels in the blood.
low birth weight (LBW)
A weight at birth of less than 2500 grams, or 5½ pounds, associated with increased risk of developmental problems.
lateralization
The specialization of the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex of the brain.
migration
Process in early brain development in which neurons move from their place of origin in the center of the brain to particular locations throughout the brain where they will become part of specialized functioning units.
miscarriage
Loss of a pregnancy before survival of the baby outside the womb is possible.
myelin
A fatty sheath that insulates neural axons and thereby speeds the transmission of neural impulses.
menarche
A female’s first menstrual period.
menopause
The ending of a woman’s menstrual periods and reproductive capacity around age 51.
myelination
The depositing of a fatty sheath around neural axons that insulates them and thereby speeds the transmission of neural impulses.
neonatal
Pertaining to events or developments in the first month after birth.
neurogenesis
The process of generating new neurons across the life span.
neuron
The basic unit of the nervous system; a nerve cell.
nun study
The Nun Study of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease is a continuing longitudinal study, begun in 1986, to examine the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
orthogenetic principle
Werner’s principle that development proceeds from global and undifferentiated states toward more differentiated and integrated patterns of response.
organogenesis
The process, occurring during the period of the embryo, in which major organs take shape.
osteoarthritis
A joint problem among older adults resulting from a gradual deterioration of the cartilage that cushions the bones and keeps them from rubbing together.
osteoporosis
A disease affecting older adults in which bone tissue is lost, leaving bones fragile and easily fractured.
oxytocin
A hormone that plays important roles in facilitating parent-infant attachment as well as reducing anxiety and encouraging affiliation in other social relationships.
placenta
An organ, formed from the chorion and the lining of the uterus, that provides for the nourishment of the unborn child and the elimination of its metabolic wastes.
postpartum depression
An episode of severe, clinical depression lasting for months in a woman who has just given birth; to be contrasted with milder cases of the “baby blues,” in which a new mother is tearful and moody in the first days after birth.
proliferation
Process in early brain development in which neurons multiply at a staggering rate throughout the prenatal period
pituitary gland
The “master gland” located at the base of the brain that regulates the other endocrine glands and produces growth hormone.
plasticity
An openness of brain cells or of the organism as a whole to positive and negative environmental influence; a capacity to change in response to experience.
programmed theories of aging
Theories that emphasize the systematic genetic control of aging processes. Contrast with random error theories of aging.
proximodistal principle
In development, the principle that growth proceeds from the center of the body (or the proximal region) to the extremities (or the distal regions).
puberty
The processes of biological change that result in an individual’s attaining sexual maturity and becoming capable of producing a child.
positivity effect
The tendency of older adults to pay more attention to, better remember, and put more priority on positive information than on negative information; see also socioemotional selectivity theory.
pretend play
Symbolic play in which one actor, object, or action symbolizes or stands for another.
primary emotion
One of the distinct basic emotions that emerges within the first six months of life universally (joy, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, fear).
risk
- the probability or likelihood that a negative event will occur, such as the risk that a disease or disorder will develop.
- the probability of experiencing loss or harm that is associated with an action or behavior.
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.
resistant attachment
An insecure infant–caregiver bond or other intimate relationship characterized by strong separation anxiety and a tendency to show ambivalent reactions to the attachment object upon reunion, seeking and yet resisting contact and not being comforted.
spina bifida
Spina bifida is the most common kind of neural tube defect (also called NTD). NTDs are birth defects of the brain, spine and spinal cord. Taking folic acid every day before and in the first few weeks of pregnancy can help reduce your risk for spina bifida and other NTDs.
secular trend
The secular trend refers to the average age of puberty decreasing over time. Since the 1900s in the United States, puberty seems to be occurring earlier. Nutrition may play a role in why this occurs.
semenarche (spermarche)
a male’s first ejaculation of semen. Also called semenarche.
synapse
the specialized junction through which neural signals are transmitted from one neuron (the presynaptic neuron) to another (the postsynaptic neuron)
synaptic pruning
a neurodevelopmental process, occurring both before birth and up to the second decade of life, in which the weakest synapses between neurons are eliminated. In schizophrenia research, it is hypothesized that premature or excessive pruning may account for some forms of the disorder.
synaptogenesis
the formation of synapses between neurons as axons and dendrites grow.
secure attachment
- in the Strange Situation, the positive parent–child relationship, in which the child displays confidence when the parent is present, shows mild distress when the parent leaves, and quickly reestablishes contact when the parent returns. Compare insecure attachment.
- an adult attachment style that combines a positive internal working model of attachment of oneself, characterized by a view of oneself as worthy of love, and a positive internal working model of attachment of others, characterized by the view that others are generally accepting and responsive. Compare dismissive attachment; fearful attachment; preoccupied attachment.
self-conscious emotion
self-evaluative emotion
an emotion generated when events reflect on the worth or value of the self in one’s own or others’ eyes. Self-conscious emotions include shame, pride, guilt, and embarrassment. Also called self-evaluative emotion.
separation anxiety
the normal apprehension experienced by a young child when away (or facing the prospect of being away) from the person or people to whom he or she is attached (particularly parents). Separation anxiety is most active between 6 and 10 months of age. Separation from loved ones in later years may elicit similar anxiety.
social referencing
evaluating one’s own modes of thinking, expression, or behavior by comparing them with those of other people so as to understand how to react in a particular situation and to adapt one’s actions and reactions in ways that are perceived to be appropriate. This ability has been demonstrated to emerge at a very early age: Young infants use caregivers’ emotional expressions to guide their behavior in novel, ambiguous situations.
socioemotional selectivity theory
a lifespan theory of motivation positing that as people age, they reorganize their goals to give priority to those that are emotionally meaningful (.e.g., satisfying relationships) rather than to those that are future oriented (e.g. seeking new challenges). The theory predicts that people who are older or who are in other situations that place constraints on time attach greater importance to increasing emotional closeness with significant others than do people who are younger or perceive time as relatively open ended.
Strange Situation
an experimental technique used to assess quality of attachment in infants and young children (up to the age of 2). The procedure subjects the child to increasing amounts of stress induced by a strange setting, the entrance of an unfamiliar person, and two brief separations from the parent. The reaction of the child to each of these situations is used to evaluate the security or insecurity of his or her attachment to the parent.
thalidomide
a drug reintroduced into the United States in 1998 as an immunosuppressant for treatment of cutaneous manifestations of erythema nodosum leprosum (a severe, acute form of leprosy). A derivative of the sedative glutethimide, it was originally (in the late 1950s and early 1960s) used to treat anxiety and morning sickness in pregnancy until its association with severe, life-threatening birth defects became apparent. Numerous fetal abnormalities—including abnormal limb development (see phocomelia) and gastrointestinal, cardiac, and neurological deficits—were common and the drug was withdrawn. Prescription requires special training by prescribers and pharmacists, and thalidomide must not be taken by women who are pregnant; both women and men who are taking thalidomide must comply with various conditions and contraceptive measures. Its mechanism of action is unclear. U.S. trade name: Thalomid.
teratogen
an agent that induces developmental abnormalities in a fetus. The process that results in these abnormalities is called teratogenesis; a teratomorph is a fetus or offspring with these abnormalities.
telomere
a structure found at the ends of chromosomes that protects fragments from rejoining after a chromosome has divided. Telomeres become progressively shorter with each cell division, and after a certain number of cell divisions, they become so short that they trigger the cell to stop dividing or to undergo programmed cell death. Telomeres are said to act as a genetic clock that ticks down the number of times the cell can divide safely. See also Hayflick limit.
triangular theory of love
the proposition that the various kinds of love can be characterized in terms of the degree to which they possess three basic components that together can be viewed as forming the vertices of a triangle. The intimacy component refers to feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness, which give rise to the experience of warmth in a loving relationship. The passion component refers to the drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, sexual consummation, and related phenomena in loving relationships. The commitment component refers to the decision that one loves someone and desires to maintain that love; it thus includes the cognitive elements that are involved in decision making about the existence of and potential long-term commitment to a loving relationship. See companionate love; erotic love; passionate love; romantic love.
Three stages of prenatal development
Stage 1 the germinal stage: Zygote
Stage 2 the embryonic stage: Embryo
Stage 3 the fetal stage: Fetus
Prenatal development stage 1
Germinal stage
Time: 0-2 weeks
The cells develop to blastocyst. Blastocyst arrives at uterus and implants to uterine wall.
Prenatal Development stage 2
Embryonic stage
Time: 2-8 weeks
Week 3- Brain development
Week 4- Head, face, and neck develop. Heartbeat begins.
Week 5- Buds for limbs form and grow. Embryo weighs 1 gram and is 1 inch in length; has amniotic sac, placenta, and umbilical cord.
Prenatal development stage 3
Fetal stage
Time: 9th week to birth (3-9 months)
