Motor Development Exam 1

What is motor development?

The progressive change in movement behavior throughout the lifespan, influenced by the interaction of the individual, environment, and task.

What is heredity in the context of motor development?

The biological traits received from parents that influence motor development.

What is maturation?

The qualitative functional changes occurring with age that lead to an adult level of functioning.

Define 'self-organizing.'

A process where patterns of behavior emerge as a result of dynamic interactions without central control.

What does 'cephalocaudal' mean?

Development occurs from the head down to the feet.

What does 'proximodistal' mean?

Development proceeds from the center of the body outward to the extremities.

What are the stages/phases of motor development?

Reflexive, rudimentary, fundamental, and specialized movement phases.

What is regression in motor development?

A decline in motor performance due to aging or disuse.

What are affordances?

Opportunities for action that objects, events, or places in the environment provide.

What is Newells Constraint Theory?

A theory suggesting movement arises from the interaction of individual, task, and environmental constraints.

What is developmental biodynamics?

The study of how biological and environmental systems interact to produce motor behavior.

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

The brain and spinal cord responsible for processing information.

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

The network of nerves outside the CNS that carries signals to and from the body.

What is the function of the basal ganglia?

Involved in motor control, movement initiation, and posture.

What is the role of the cerebellum?

Coordinates voluntary movement, balance, and motor learning.

Define subcortical

Refers to structures located below the cerebral cortex, often involved in primitive functions.

What are the parts of a neuron?

Dendrite (receives signals), soma (cell body), axon (sends signals), myelin (insulates axon to speed up transmission).

What is the sequence of CNS development?

Neural tube formation, cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, synaptogenesis, and myelination.

What is brain lateralization?

The process by which certain cognitive processes are specialized to one hemisphere of the brain.

What is Hemispheric specialization?

The specialization of the left and right hemispheres of the brain for different functions.

What is body composition?

The proportion of fat and non-fat mass in the body, including muscle, bone, and water.

What are secular trends?

Long-term patterns in growth and maturation observed over generations; can be positive (e.g., increased height) or negative (e.g., earlier onset of puberty).

What are the periods of physical growth?

Prenatal, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

What does a growth curve show?

A graphical representation of growth over time, typically height or weight versus age.

What is the fetal period?

The stage of prenatal development from 8 weeks to birth where rapid growth and organ development occur.

How do gender differences affect growth?

Males typically grow for a longer time and reach greater height; females often mature earlier.

What is the role of the hypothalamus in hormonal activity?

Regulates hormone release from the pituitary gland and controls growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

What does the thyroid gland regulate?

Metabolism, growth, and development via hormone secretion.

What is skeletal development?

The process of bone formation and growth throughout childhood and adolescence.

What is a skeletal estimate?

A method used to determine biological age based on the maturation of bones.

What is the Critical Weight Theory?

Suggests that a certain body weight or fat percentage must be reached for puberty to begin.

What is the Fat Cell Theory?

Proposes that the number and size of fat cells established during childhood can influence obesity risk later in life.

What are motor asymmetries?

Differences in motor performance between the left and right sides of the body, often due to handedness or limb dominance.

What is regression in later adulthood?

The decline in physical and motor abilities as part of the aging process.

What is vital capacity?

The maximum amount of air that can be expelled from the lungs after a deep breath.

What is basal metabolic rate (BMR)?

The rate at which the body uses energy while at rest to maintain vital functions.

What is the alveolar-capillary interface?

The site in the lungs where gas exchange occurs between alveoli and blood capillaries.

How does flexibility change with age?

Flexibility generally decreases due to joint stiffness, muscle shortening, and reduced physical activity.