brain development and physical growth

neuron

cell that sends and receives messages between the brain and body

cell body

bio material to keep neuron functioning

dendrites

neural fibers that receive input from other cells and conduct it toward cell body in electrical impulses

axon

fiber that conducts electrical signals away from the cell body to connections with other neurons

synapse

junction between axon and dendrite branch of other neuron that they use to communicate

synaptogenesis

formation of synapses between neurons

arborization

the formation of new dendrites to create more synapses

synaptic pruning

synapses that aren’t used often die off

glial cells

cells that provide critical supportive functions

cerebral cortex

gray matter of brain, contains 4 lobes

occipital lobe

visual processing

temporal lobe

speech, language, emotion, auditory

paritiel lobe

spatial processing

frontal lobe

cognitive control (memory, planning, decisions, etc)

corpus callosum

connective nerve fibers that allow for communication between brain hemispheres

cerebral lateralization

specialization of hemispheres for different modes of processing

spines

on dendrite, allow for more communication between neurons

myelin

makes processing faster, white matter

plasticity

brain’s ability to be molded or changed by experience, younger people are more resilient

experience expectant plasticity

species-typical experience in shaping brain development

experience dependent plasticity

neural connections being created by our own specific experiences

secular trend

marked changes in physical development that have occurred over generations