unit 5 Flashcards
What age range typically defines early adulthood?
Early adulthood is generally considered to span from ages 18 to 40. This period marks significant life transitions, including completing education, starting a career, and forming long-term relationships.
Why are the adult years harder to divide into distinct periods?
Unlike childhood and adolescence, where developmental stages are more uniform, adulthood involves milestones that vary widely among individuals due to personal choices, cultural factors, and life circumstances.
What are common milestones during early adulthood?
Common milestones include leaving the parental home, achieving economic independence, completing higher education, starting full-time employment, forming intimate partnerships, and, for some, starting a family.
What is senescence?
Senescence refers to the natural, genetically influenced decline in the functioning of organs and systems as part of the aging process. It begins in early adulthood but is typically unnoticeable until later.
When do noticeable physical changes occur in early adulthood?
In the 20s and 30s, changes are gradual and often go unnoticed, such as slight declines in muscle tone or stamina. More noticeable physical declines typically occur in later adulthood.
What vision changes happen around age 30?
Around age 30, the lens of the eye begins to stiffen, reducing the ability to focus on nearby objects. Visual acuity, or sharpness of vision, may also decrease.
How does hearing decline after age 30?
Hearing sensitivity decreases, especially at high frequencies. This decline occurs more rapidly in men than in women, likely due to genetic and environmental factors, such as occupational noise exposure.
What taste and smell changes occur from age 60?
After age 60, the sensitivity to basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) diminishes. Additionally, the ability to detect and identify odors declines due to the loss of olfactory receptors.
What respiratory changes happen with age?
Lung capacity decreases, especially during physical exertion, as the tissues of the respiratory system lose elasticity. The lungs’ ability to expand fully diminishes, leading to a higher breathing rate during activities.
What cardiovascular changes occur with aging?
The heart muscle stiffens, the maximum heart rate decreases, and the arterial walls lose elasticity and accumulate plaque, which can restrict blood flow and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.
What is atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque—composed of cholesterol and fats—on the walls of arteries, which can restrict blood flow and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
When do athletic skills peak?
Athletic skills requiring speed, strength, and gross motor coordination peak in the early 20s, while skills requiring endurance, precision, and fine motor coordination peak in the late 20s or early 30s.
What causes most age-related motor skill declines?
The primary cause is inactivity, not biological aging. Regular physical activity can help maintain motor skills and physical health well into later adulthood.
How do muscle fibers change with age?
Fast-twitch muscle fibers, responsible for speed and power, decline in number and size faster than slow-twitch fibers, which are used for endurance. Ligaments and tendons also stiffen, reducing flexibility and speed.
How does the immune system decline after 20?
The thymus, an organ that produces T cells crucial for immune response, begins to shrink after age 20, reducing the body’s ability to fight off infections and diseases effectively.
