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| plots the average size of a sample of children at each age, indicating typical yearly progress toward maturity. |
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| plots the average amount of growth at each yearly interval, revealing the exact timing of growth spurts. |
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Term
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| from the Latin for “head to tail. ” Recall from Chapter 3 that during the prenatal period, the head develops first from the primitive embryonic disk, followed by the lower part of the body. |
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| growth proceeds, literally, from “near to far”—from the center of the body outward. In the prenatal period, the head, chest, and trunk grow first, then the arms and legs, finally the hands and feet. During infancy and childhood, the arms and legs continue to grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet. |
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| a measure of development of the bones of the body; best estimate of child's physical maturity. |
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| Growth centers which appear at the two extreme ends of each of the long bones of the body just before birth. |
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| The most important hormones for human growth are released by the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain near the hypothalamus |
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Definition
| a structure that initiates and regulates pituitary secretions |
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Definition
| the only pituitary secretion produced continuously throughout life, affects development of all tissues except the central nervous system and the genitals. |
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Term
| thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) |
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Definition
| prompts the thy- roid gland in the neck to release thy rox ine , which is necessary for brain development and for GH to have its full impact on body size. |
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Term
| secular trends in physical growth |
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Definition
| changes in body size from one generation to the next |
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Definition
| nerve cells that store and transmit information, |
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| Tiny gaps between neurons where fibers from different neurons come close together but do not touch |
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| Chemicals released by neurons , which carry the messages and cross synapses. |
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| neurons programmed to die which makes space for neural structures: As synapses form, many surrounding neurons die—20 to 80 percent, depending on the brain region |
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Definition
| Neurons that are seldom stimulated soon lose their synapses, they return to an uncommitted state so they can support future development |
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| Cells that make up about half the brain’s volume, which are responsible for myelination |
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Term
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Definition
| the coating of neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath (called myelin) that improves the efficiency of message transfer. |
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Term
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Definition
| surrounds the rest of the brain, resembling half of a shelled walnut. It is the largest brain structure—accounting for 85 percent of the brain’s weight and containing the greatest number of neurons and synapses. |
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Term
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Definition
| lying in front of areas controlling body movement, is responsible for thought—in particular, consciousness, atten- tion, inhibition of impulses, integration of information, and use of memory, reasoning, planning, and problem-solving strategies. |
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Term
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Definition
| specialization of the two brain hemispheres |
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Term
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| A highly plastic cerebral cortex, in which many areas are not yet committed to specific functions, has a high capacity for learning. And if a part of the cortex is damaged, other parts can take over the tasks it would have handled. |
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Term
| dominant cerebral hemisphere |
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Definition
| greater capacity of one side of the brain to carry out skilled motor action. |
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Definition
| Brain structure that lies at the rear and base of the brain, and aids in balance and control of body movement. |
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Definition
| a structure in the brain stem that maintains alertness and consciousness |
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| inner brain structure which plays a vital role in memory and in images of space that help us find our way |
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Term
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Definition
| located in the inner brain, adjacent to the hippocampus, it is a structure that plays a central role in processing emotional information. |
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Term
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Definition
| a large bundle of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres. |
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Term
| experience-expectant brain growth |
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Definition
| the young brain’s rapidly developing organization, which depends on ordinary experiences— opportunities to interact with people, hear language and other sounds, see and touch objects, and move about and explore the environment. |
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Term
| experience-dependent brain growth |
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Definition
| occurs throughout our lives. It consists of additional growth and refinement of established brain struc- tures as a result of specific learning experiences that vary widely across individuals and cultures |
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Term
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Definition
| a wasted condition of the body caused by a diet low in all essential nutri- ents. It usually appears in the first year of life when a baby’s mother is too malnourished to produce enough breast milk and bottle-feeding is also inadequate. |
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Term
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Definition
| caused by an unbalanced diet very low in protein. The disease usually strikes after weaning, between 1 and 3 years of age. |
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Term
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Definition
| a greater-than-20-percent increase over healthy weight, based on body mass index (BMI)—a ratio of weight to height associated with body fat. (A BMI above the 85th percentile for the child’s age and sex is considered overweight, a BMI above the 95th percentile obese.) |
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Definition
| a term applied to infants whose weight, height, and head circumfer- ence are substantially below age-related growth norms and who are withdrawn and apathetic (Black, 2005). In as many as half such cases, a disturbed parent–infant relationship contrib- utes to the failure to grow normally |
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Term
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Definition
| a growth disorder that appears between 2 and 15 years of age. Typical characteristics include decreased GH secretion, very short stature, immature skeletal age, and serious adjustment problems |
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Term
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Definition
| conception of and attitude toward their physical appearance |
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