5.1: Reading ASSIGNMENT

Conception

The process when a sperm fertilizes an egg, creating new life.

Egg (Ovum)

An immature egg released by a woman’s ovary; a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have.

Sperm

The male reproductive cell, produced continuously by men from puberty onwards.

Fertilization Process

The process where sperm race to reach the egg, leading to the fusion of egg and sperm.

Zygote

The fertilized egg, from conception to 2 weeks, characterized by rapid cell division.

Embryo

The developing human from 2 to 9 weeks after conception where organs begin to form.

Fetus

The stage of prenatal development from 9 weeks until birth, when the organism begins to resemble a human.

Teratogens

Harmful substances like viruses or drugs that can cause developmental harm during pregnancy.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

A condition that results from alcohol use during pregnancy, causing lifelong physical and mental abnormalities.

Epigenetic effect

Changes in gene expression caused by environmental factors, such as alcohol modifying DNA.

Built-in reflexes

Instinctive responses in newborns, such as withdrawal or rooting reflexes, that help them survive.

Habituation

A decrease in response to repeated stimuli; used to study infants' ability to remember.

Face Preference

The innate tendency of newborns to look at faces over other objects.

Maturation

The biological growth process that precedes behavioral changes, largely driven by genetics.

Neural Pruning

The process where unused neural connections are eliminated to enhance brain efficiency.

Infantile Amnesia

The inability to recall memories from early childhood, typically before age 3.

Rovee-Collier’s Experiment

An experiment showing infants can learn and remember simple actions by associating them with movements.

Frontal lobes development

Rapid growth of frontal lobes between ages 3 to 6, crucial for decision-making and impulse control.

Infants' brain development

The brain creates a vast number of nerve cells rapidly during prenatal development.

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

The sudden and unexplained death of an infant, which decreased due to public awareness and safe sleep practices.

Early milestones

Key developmental achievements like standing before walking, which follow a universal sequence.

Cognitive growth

The increase in mental abilities that occurs with the development of brain areas associated with thinking and memory.

Prenatal development stages

The progression from zygote to embryo to fetus during the development of a human baby.

Fetal Learning

The ability of fetuses to recognize and react to sounds before birth.

Newborns' preference for smell

Babies can recognize their mother’s scent shortly after birth.

Childhood language memories

The idea that even if language is forgotten, traces remain in the nervous system, allowing relearning.

Crying

A reflex in newborns that signals hunger and motivates parents to feed them.

Motor development sequence

The order in which infants achieve physical skills, typically non-imitation based and guided by maturation.