Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Skeletal age is the most accurate estimate of a child's physical maturity as it assesses the level of bone development and can provide a better indication of a child's growth potential compared to chronological age or other physical measures like birthweight or arm span.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

The brain is the correct answer as it reaches 90% of adult size by age 2. The heart, spinal cord, and femur all continue to grow and develop throughout childhood and adolescence.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Children of the same age can vary in rate of physical growth due to genetic and environmental factors. Ethnic differences in physical growth have been observed, with Asian children tending to be slightly above North American growth norms and African-American children tending to be below the growth norms. However, it is important to note that these are general trends and individual differences within each group can still exist.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

During infancy, girls are slightly shorter and lighter than boys. These differences become more pronounced during adolescence, with boys generally growing taller and heavier than girls.

Question 5

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 is because there is a significant amount of cell death that occurs during development, which helps to eliminate unnecessary or malfunctioning neurons.

Question 6

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 that starts from the center of the body and moves towards the extremities. During childhood, the arms and legs grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet, which is consistent with this trend. Option A refers to the cephalocaudal trend of development, where growth starts from the top of the head and moves downwards. Option C is not consistent with either trend, and option D is only true for the prenatal period, not childhood growth.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

The cephalocaudal trend refers to the development during the prenatal period, which means that the head (cephalo) develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body (caudal).

Question 8

When skeletal ages are examined at birth,__________.

Accepted Answer

When skeletal ages are examined at birth, the difference between sexes is typically around 4 to 6 weeks, but there are otherwise no discernable differences between boys and girls. There is also no consistent difference in skeletal age between different racial/ethnic groups.

Question 9

__________ 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 myelination, which is the process of forming a protective sheath around neurons. Neurons, neurotransmitters, and synapses are all involved in the communication between neurons, but not in myelination.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Neurons communicate with each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters at the synapse.

Question 11

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 sentence mentions "lost their synapses," which refers to the process of synaptic pruning. Choices A, C, and D do not refer to this process.

Question 12

As neurons form connections,stimulation __________.

Accepted Answer

Stimulation becomes vital to the survival of neurons as they form connections. The more connections a neuron forms, the more important it becomes for it to receive ongoing stimulation in order to maintain those connections and continue to function properly. This is why brain development in infancy and early childhood is so dependent on experiences and environmental stimuli.

Question 13

Synapses __________.

Accepted Answer

Synapses are the tiny gaps between neighboring neurons where information is transmitted. They do not decrease or prune during mitosis, nor are they responsible for myelination.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

The cerebral cortex is responsible for many important functions including consciousness, memory, language, perception, and thinking. It is the outermost layer of the brain and is highly developed in humans, contributing to our superior intelligence compared to other species. The cerebellum is responsible for motor coordination and balance, while the hypothalamus regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and other basic functions. The medulla is responsible for regulating vital autonomic functions such as breathing and heart rate.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

About half the brain's volume is made up of glial cells, which provide support and protection to neurons.

Question 16

Neurons __________.

Accepted Answer

Neurons store and transmit information as they are the primary building blocks of the nervous system. Option A is incorrect because neurons are not gaps, but are individual cells. Option B is partially correct because neurons are closely packed together in the nervous system, but not all tight groupings of cells are neurons. Option C is also incorrect because while some neurons may contribute to myelination, it is not their primary function.

Question 17

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 18

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 assure Maggi that her daughter's rise in "baby fat" __________.

Accepted Answer

Baby fat plays a crucial role in helping infants maintain a constant body temperature, as their ability to regulate body heat is not as efficient as in older children and adults.

Question 19

Infants and toddlers grow __________.

Accepted Answer

Infants and toddlers typically grow in little spurts rather than at a steady pace.

Question 20

The __________ is among the last regions to attain adult levels of synaptic connections.

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is among the last brain regions to reach full development in terms of synaptic connections, with the process continuing into early adulthood. This area of the brain is involved in higher-order cognitive functions such as decision-making, planning, and impulse control.

Quiz 4: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood