Diane E. Papalia,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sally Wendkos Olds
Ruth Duskin Feldman
brain growth spurts | periods of rapid growth and development
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cell death | elimination of excess brain cells to achieve more efficient functioning.
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central nervous system | brain and spinal cord
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Denver Developmental Test | screening test given to children 1 month to 6 years old to determine whether they are developing normally.
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depth perception | ability to perceive objects and surfaces three-dimensionally.
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differentiation | process by which neurons acquire specialized structure and function.
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fine motor skills | abilities that involve the small muscles and eye-hand coordination.
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gross motor skills | physical skills that involve the large muscles.
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infant mortality rate | proportion of babies born alive who die within the first year.
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integration | process by which neurons coordinate the activities of muscle groups.
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lateralization | tendency of each of the brain's hemispheres to have specialized functions
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myelination | process of coating neurons with a fatty substance (myelin) that enables faster communication between cells.
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neurons | nerve cells
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plasticity | modifiability or "molding" of the brain through experience.
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reflex behaviors | automatic, involuntary, innate responses to stimulation.
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sudden infant death syndrome | sudden and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant.
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systems of action | increasingly complex combinations of skills, which permit a wider or more precise range of movement and more control of the environment.
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visual cliff | apparatus designed to give an illusion of depth and used to assess depth perception in infants.
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