Glossary
Adolescent Growth Spurt
A rapid and intense increase in height and weight that occurs during puberty, typically starting earlier in females than males.
Example:
Many teenagers experience an adolescent growth spurt, suddenly needing new clothes as they shoot up several inches in a short period.
Critical Periods
Specific times during development when an organism is especially sensitive to certain environmental stimuli or experiences, and when particular abilities or characteristics are most easily acquired.
Example:
Learning a first language during early childhood is an example of a critical period; it's much harder to achieve native fluency if exposure is delayed past this time.
Fine Motor Skills
Physical abilities involving small, coordinated movements, especially of the hands and fingers, such as drawing or grasping small objects.
Example:
When a child learns to tie their shoelaces, they are demonstrating advanced fine motor skills.
Gross Motor Skills
Physical abilities involving large body movements, such as walking, running, and jumping.
Example:
A toddler learning to ride a tricycle is developing their gross motor skills as they coordinate their legs and balance.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) Axis
A complex system of interactions between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonads that regulates the production of sex hormones and initiates puberty.
Example:
The activation of the HPG axis signals the body to begin producing increased levels of testosterone or estrogen, triggering the changes associated with adolescence.
Imprinting
A rapid and innate learning process occurring during a critical period in some animals, leading to a strong, irreversible attachment to the first moving object encountered.
Example:
Konrad Lorenz famously showed imprinting when goslings followed him as if he were their mother after hatching in his presence.
Infant Reflexes
Automatic, involuntary responses to specific stimuli present at birth, indicating healthy neurological development.
Example:
When a newborn's cheek is stroked, they will turn their head and open their mouth, exhibiting the rooting reflex to find nourishment.
Menopause
The natural cessation of menstruation and the end of reproductive capacity in females, typically occurring around age 50.
Example:
A woman experiencing hot flashes and irregular periods in her late 40s may be approaching menopause.
Presbyopia
Age-related farsightedness, a common condition in middle and older adulthood where the eye's lens loses its ability to focus on close objects.
Example:
An older adult needing to hold a book further away to read the text clearly is likely experiencing presbyopia.
Primary Sex Characteristics
The body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible, which develop and mature during puberty.
Example:
For males, the enlargement of the testes and penis are examples of primary sex characteristics developing during puberty.
Puberty
The period of rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and bodily changes that occur primarily during early adolescence, leading to sexual maturity.
Example:
During puberty, adolescents experience a significant growth spurt and the development of secondary sex characteristics.
Rooting Reflex
An infant reflex where, when touched on the cheek, the infant turns its head toward the touch and opens its mouth, aiding in feeding.
Example:
A baby instinctively turning its head towards a gentle touch on its cheek, ready to suckle, is demonstrating the rooting reflex.
Secondary Sex Characteristics
Non-reproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair, that develop during puberty.
Example:
The deepening of a male's voice and the development of breasts in females are examples of secondary sex characteristics.
Teratogens
Substances that can cause birth defects or developmental abnormalities in a fetus when exposed during pregnancy.
Example:
If a pregnant person consumes alcohol, it acts as a teratogen and can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome in the developing baby.
Visual Cliff Experiment
A research method developed by Gibson and Walk to study depth perception in infants and young animals, using a platform that creates the illusion of a drop-off.
Example:
When placed on the visual cliff experiment, most infants hesitate or refuse to crawl over the 'deep' side, suggesting they perceive depth.