Question 1

Which statement is consistent with the proximodistal trend of body growth?

Accepted Answer

The proximodistal trend of body growth refers to the pattern of growth starting from the center or core of the body and extending outward to the extremities. Option B is consistent with this trend as it states that during infancy and childhood, the arms and legs grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet, indicating that growth starts in the center of the limb and extends outward to the hands and feet. The other options do not accurately describe the proximodistal trend of body growth.

Question 2

During infancy, __________. These sex differences will __________ during adolescence.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 3

Newborn Sam's __________ is nearer to its adult size than any other physical structure.

Accepted Answer

The brain of a newborn is already 25% of its adult size, while other physical structures such as the heart, spinal cord, and femur are still developing and growing.

Question 4

Brain growth is especially dramatic during __________, when the brain more than doubles in size.

Accepted Answer

The first year is a critical period for brain growth, with the brain more than doubling in size during this time. By age 2, the brain has reached about 75% of its adult weight. While brain growth continues throughout childhood and into adolescence, it is not as dramatic as during the first year of life.

Question 5

Which statement about individual and group differences in physical growth is true?

Accepted Answer

Children of the same age differ in rate of physical growth, meaning some children may grow faster than others regardless of their ethnic background. While there may be general trends in growth norms for different ethnic groups, there is also a significant amount of variability within those groups. Therefore, it is important to consider each child's individual growth trajectory rather than relying solely on general norms.

Question 6

If Patrick is typical, his height at the end of his first year should be about __________ inches.

Accepted Answer

According to the given information, Patrick's height at the end of his first year should be double his height at birth. Assuming an average birth length of around 20 inches, his height at the end of his first year would be around 40 inches. Option C (32 inches) is the closest value to it. The other options are too low.

Question 7

__________ are responsible for myelination.

Accepted Answer

Glial cells, specifically oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, are responsible for myelinating axons. Neurons are the cells that transmit electrical and chemical signals in the nervous system. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are released by neurons to transmit signals across synapses. Synapses are the junctions between neurons where neurotransmitters are released.

Question 8

About half the brain's volume is made up of __________ cells.

Accepted Answer

Glial cells make up about half of the brain's volume, while red and white blood cells are not primary components of brain tissue. While stem cells exist in the brain, they do not make up a significant portion of its volume.

Question 9

The process of __________ coats the neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath, which improves the efficiency of message transfer.

Accepted Answer

Myelination is the process by which neural fibers, specifically axons, are coated with a fatty substance called myelin. This myelin sheath serves as an insulator, improving the efficiency and speed of message transmission along the axon. The other answer choices (B) neuroimaging, (C) synaptic pruning, and (D) neurotransmission refer to different processes involved in neural communication and are not directly related to the insulation of neural fibers.

Question 10

Which statement about neurons is true?

Accepted Answer

Neurons are specialized cells that store and transmit information in the form of electrical and chemical signals. They are not gaps between body cells or responsible for myelination. While neurons may be found close together, they are not necessarily tightly packed.

Question 11

Which statement about synapses is true?

Accepted Answer

Synapses are indeed tiny gaps or spaces between neighboring neurons where neurotransmitters are released and received. Option A is incorrect as synapse formation actually increases rapidly during the first year of life. Option C is also incorrect as synapses are pruned during development, not during mitosis. Option D is misleading as myelination is the process of forming a fatty sheath around axons, not directly related to synapses.

Question 12

During the prenatal period, the neural tube __________.

Accepted Answer

During the prenatal period, the neural tube produces far more neurons than the brain will ever need. This overproduction allows for a significant amount of neural pruning to occur later, which is essential for the healthy development of the brain's neural networks.

Question 13

Maggi is concerned because her 8-month-old daughter has gained 10 pounds since birth and has transformed into a round, plump baby. You can inform Maggi that her daughter's rise in "baby fat" __________.

Accepted Answer

Baby fat helps infants maintain a constant body temperature as they are not yet able to regulate their own body temperature effectively.

Question 14

The best estimate of a child's physical maturity is __________.

Accepted Answer

Skeletal age is a measure of bone development and can provide a more accurate estimate of physical maturity compared to chronological age or other measures such as birth weight or arm span. This is particularly useful in assessing growth patterns and predicting potential growth in children.

Question 15

As neurons form connections, stimulation __________.

Accepted Answer

Stimulation becomes vital to the survival of neurons as they form connections. Without stimulation, the connections may not be strengthened and the neuron may die due to lack of use.

Question 16

According to the __________ trend, the head develops more rapidly during the prenatal period than the lower part of the body.

Accepted Answer

The cephalocaudal trend refers to the development pattern in which the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body during the prenatal period.

Question 17

The __________ is responsible for the highly developed intelligence of the human species.

Accepted Answer

The cerebral cortex is responsible for the highly developed intelligence of the human species. It is the outer layer of the brain and is heavily involved in complex cognitive functions such as perception, language, reasoning, and voluntary movement. The cerebellum, medulla, and hypothalamus are important structures in the brain, but they do not play as significant a role in higher intelligence.

Question 18

Stimulation in Hillary's brain resulted in a massive overabundance of synapses, many of which served identical functions. Neurons that were seldom stimulated lost their synapses in a process called __________.

Accepted Answer

The description refers to the process of synaptic pruning, wherein less active synapses are eliminated to optimize brain function. The other options are not appropriate because myelination involves the insulation of axons, neuroimaging is a technique for visualizing the brain, and neurotransmission refers to the communication between neurons.

Question 19

Neurons send messages to one another by releasing chemicals called __________.

Accepted Answer

Neurons send messages to one another by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Question 20

In an electroencephalogram (EEG), researchers __________.

Accepted Answer

In an EEG, researchers examine brain-wave patterns for stability and organization. EEGs do not create three-dimensional images of the brain, nor do they provide certain information on how an individual processes a stimulus. The tunnel-shaped apparatus referred to is likely an MRI machine, which creates a magnetic field to produce images of the brain.

Quiz 4: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood