Health Flashcards
An inherited digestive problem in which gluten triggers an immune response that damages a person’s small intestine.
celiac disease
A phenomenon in which children who have experienced growth deficits will grow rapidly and catch up to the growth trajectory they are genetically programmed to follow.
catch-up growth
Secretes chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream.
endocrine gland
The “master gland” located at the base of the brain that regulates the other endocrine glands and produces growth hormone.
pituitary gland
Hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates childhood physical growth and the adolescent growth spurt.
growth hormone
Male hormones that help trigger the adolescent growth spurt and the development of the male sex organs, secondary sex characteristics, and sexual motivation.
androgens
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.
estrogen
The specialization of the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex of the brain.
lateralization
The principle that growth proceeds from the head to the tail.
cephalocaudal principle
In development, the principle that growth proceeds from the center of the body to the extremities.
proximodistal principle
Werner’s principle that development proceeds from global and undifferentiated states toward more differentiated and integrated patterns of response.
orthogenetic principle
A state of active, irregular sleep associated
with dreaming.
REM sleep
The age at which half of a large group of infants or children master a skill or display a behavior; the average age for achieving a milestone in development.
developmental norm
Skills that involve large muscles and whole body or limb movements (for example, kicking the legs or drawing large circles).
gross motor skills
Skills that involve precise movements of the hands and fingers or feet and toes.
fine motor skills
The process of moving from one location to another.
locomotion
Holding objects by clamping them between the palm of hand and the fingers.
ulnar grasp
A grasp in which the thumb is used in opposition to the fingers, enabling an infant to become more dexterous at lifting and manipulating objects.
pincer grasp
Repetitive movements observed in infants shortly before a new motor skill emerges.
rhythmic stereotypies
A perspective on development applied to motor development which proposes that more sophisticated patterns of motor behavior emerge over time through a “self-organizing” process in which children modify their motor behavior in adaptive ways on the basis of the sensory feedback they receive when they try different movements.
dynamic systems theory
Defects that are present at birth and are caused by genetic factors, prenatal events, or both.
congenital malformations
The interval between the presentation of a stimulus and a response to it.
reaction time
An indicator of body fat calculated from a person’s height and weight.
body mass index (BMI)
Condition of being being 20% or more above the “ideal” weight for one’s height, age, and sex.
obesity
The point at which a person reaches sexual maturity and is physically capable of conceiving a child.
puberty
The rapid increase in physical growth that occurs during adolescence.
adolescent growth spurt
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.
adrenarche
A female’s first menstrual period.
menarche
A boy’s first ejaculation.
semenarche
A trend in industrialized society toward earlier maturation and greater body size.
secular trend
Children who are small for age (at or below the 5th percentile on a growth chart) and late entering puberty, but growing at a normal or near-normal pace.
constitutional growth delay
A metabolic disorder characterized by high levels of glucose or sugar in the blood leading to symptoms of thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, and problems involving eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
diabetes
The ability of many organ systems to respond to demands for extraordinary output, such as when the heart and lungs work at maximal capacity.
reserve capacity
Prejudice against elderly people.
ageism
Several symptoms experienced shortly before each menstrual period that include having tender breasts, feeling bloated, and being irritable and moody.
premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Taking estrogen and progestin to compensate for hormone loss because of menopause in women.
hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
A disease affecting older adults in which bone tissue is lost, leaving bones fragile and easily fractured.
osteoporosis
A joint problem among older adults resulting from a gradual deterioration of the cartilage that cushions the bones and keeps them from rubbing together.
osteoarthritis
