3.2: Physical Development Across the Lifespan

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to physical development across the lifespan, focusing on prenatal, infant, childhood, adolescent, and adult stages.

Teratogens

Substances or environmental factors that can cause congenital anomalies or developmental disruptions during prenatal development.

Gross Motor Skills

Large muscle activities such as crawling, standing, and walking, crucial for exploration and cognitive development in infants.

Reflexes

Involuntary, automatic responses to specific stimuli present at birth that are crucial for an infant's survival and neurological development.

Critical Period

A specific timeframe during development when an organism is particularly sensitive to certain environmental stimuli or experiences.

Imprinting

A rapid learning process that occurs in a critical period of an animal's life, leading to long-lasting behavioral responses to a specific individual or object.

Adolescent Growth Spurt

A rapid increase in height and weight during puberty, affecting self-esteem and body image in adolescents.

Menarche

The first menstrual period in females, marking the onset of reproductive capability.

Spermarche

The first ejaculation in males, indicating the onset of sperm production and reproductive capability.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Physical traits that differentiate the sexes but are not directly involved in reproduction, such as breast development and voice deepening.

Visual Cliff

An experimental apparatus used to study depth perception in infants, illustrating innate versus learned perceptions.