Physical

Prenatal Development – The stages of development before birth.

Zygote – The fertilized egg; the first stage of prenatal development.

Embryo – The developing human from about 2 weeks to 8 weeks after fertilization.

Fetus – The developing human from 9 weeks after fertilization until birth.

Teratogens – Harmful substances (e.g., drugs, alcohol) that can cause birth defects.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – A condition in babies caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy, leading to physical and cognitive impairments.

Habituation – Decreasing response to a repeated stimulus, showing early learning in infants.

Reflexes – Automatic, inborn responses to stimuli.

Rooting Reflex – An infant’s tendency to turn their head toward a touch on the cheek and search for a nipple.

Sucking Reflex – An infant’s instinct to suck when something touches their mouth.

Grasping Reflex – An infant’s automatic grip when something touches their palm.

Moro Reflex – The startle reflex where infants fling out their arms and legs when startled.

Babinski Reflex – When the sole of an infant’s foot is stroked, their toes fan out.

Maturation – The biological growth processes that occur in a predictable sequence, relatively unaffected by experience.

Infant Memory – The phenomenon where infants form memories but often forget events before age 3.

Gross Motor Skills – Large movements, like crawling or walking, that use large muscles.

Fine Motor Skills – Small movements, like picking up objects, that use smaller muscles.

Puberty – The period of sexual maturation during adolescence.

Primary Sexual Characteristics – Body structures directly involved in reproduction (e.g., ovaries, testes).

Secondary Sexual Characteristics – Non-reproductive traits, like body hair and voice changes.

Menarche – A female’s first menstrual period.

Spermarche & Ejaculation – A male’s first ejaculation, marking the onset of puberty.

Menopause – The end of a woman’s menstrual cycles, marking the end of reproductive ability.

Dementia – A decline in cognitive function severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Neurogenesis – The formation of new neurons in the brain.

Alzheimer’s Disease – A progressive disorder causing memory loss and cognitive decline.

Neurocognitive Disorders (NCD) – Disorders characterized by cognitive impairments (e.g., memory, reasoning).

Five Stages of Death/Grief – The emotional stages people go through when facing death or loss: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.