Neural and Motor Development
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Draw a neuron & label its parts.
What’s an action potential & how does the myelin sheath help it?
What is neurogenesis?
What is the neural plate & how does it relate to the neural tube and to folic acid?
Neurons are produced in just one region of the neural tube. How do they get to where they
eventually need to be?
When are the majority of our neurons formed?
What is involved in neuronal growth and differentiation?
What is the cortex?
What is synaptogenesis & when does it happen the most?
What is the difference between neuronal death and synaptic pruning? How do they both
contribute to making the brain more specialized?
What is myelination? When does it begin? When does it end?
What is plasticity? Which processes did we talk about that contribute to plasticity?
What’s the difference between experience expectant and experience dependent plasticity?
Look at the slides called “Sequential Development of the Brain.” Explain the sequence (order)
of brain development in the prenatal period. What develops in infancy and in childhood?
How do neuron growth, neuron death, synaptogenisis & synaptic pruning each contribute to the
brain’s plasticity in early development?
What is a sensitive period and how does plasticity contribute to it?
Describe brain growth in adolescence.
How is teenage behavior explained by brain development?
What happens to the brain in adulthood?
Motor Development
1. What early evidence did Gesell & McGraw find for the importance of nature in motor
development?
2. How do different cultural practices illustrate the role of nurture in motor development?
3. How is the dynamic systems approach related to the nature-nurture question?
4. What are group norms? How do they inform us about the development of an individual?
5. Humans are altricial; what does this mean?
6. What are motor skills (give examples).
7. What are reflexes?
8. What infant reflexes are present at birth? Explain each one that is listed on the slide.
9. What are rhythmical stereotypies?
10. Explain the difference between Cephalocaudal and Proximodistal development
11. What is locomotion?
12. Why isn’t crawling considered a motor milestone?
13. How does motor development change throughout childhood? Are there gender differences in
these changes? What contributes to these differences?
14. What are differences between gross and fine motor skills? What facilitates the development of
fine motor development?
15. Describe changes in physical activity level from childhood to adolescence?
16. When do we reach our peak physical fitness?
17. What are the Generalized slowing and peripheral slowing hypotheses?