Question 1

Laurel's brain is approximately 95% of its adult size.How old is Laurel?

Accepted Answer

By the age of 6, a child's brain is about 95% of its adult size, indicating significant early development.

Question 2

What does the text describe as "a blanket of fat wrapped around the main part of the neuron" that serves the function of keeping the brain's electrical signals on one path and increasing their speed?

Accepted Answer

The text describes "a blanket of fat wrapped around the main part of the neuron" that serves the function of keeping the brain's electrical signals on one path and increasing their speed. This is referring to myelin, which is a fatty substance that wraps around the axon of a neuron. A is incorrect because synapses are the spaces between neurons where chemical signals are passed. B is incorrect because lipids are a broad class of molecules that include fats, but the specific type of lipid referred to in the text is myelin. C is incorrect because the cortex is the outer layer of the brain, and is not specifically related to myelin.

Question 3

Which statement accurately describes the impact of synaptic pruning?

Accepted Answer

Synaptic pruning allows the brain to work more efficiently and leads to brain pathway specialization. By eliminating unnecessary connections between neurons, the remaining connections become more specialized and efficient at transmitting information, leading to more efficient brain processing.

Option A is incorrect because synaptic pruning actually speeds up brain processing by eliminating unnecessary connections. Option B is incorrect because while synaptic pruning allows the brain to be more flexible to change, it is the resulting specialization of pathways that leads to increased efficiency. Option D is incorrect because synaptic pruning does not necessarily increase the number of connections between the hemispheres, but rather eliminates unnecessary connections in general.

Question 4

Pubertal changes begin when a threshold of __________ and results in biological changes in an adolescent's anatomy, physiology, and physical appearance.

Accepted Answer

Pubertal changes are often initiated when a certain threshold of body fat is reached, which is a signal for the body that it has enough energy reserves to support the onset of puberty. This is why the timing of puberty can vary widely among individuals and is not solely dependent on reaching a specific age or height. Rites of passage are cultural and social markers and do not directly trigger biological changes.

Question 5

Although produced in both males and females, by the mid-teens, estradiol production in females is __________ times greater than it was before puberty, while testosterone production in males is __________ times greater than it was before puberty.

Accepted Answer

Estradiol production in females is 16 times greater than it was before puberty, while testosterone production in males is 12 times greater than it was before puberty.

Question 6

Production of ova, or female eggs, and male sperm is a __________.

Accepted Answer

Production of ova and male sperm is a primary sexual characteristic because it is a direct result of the development of the reproductive organs, which are the primary organs involved in reproduction.

Question 7

__________ describes a female's first menstruation, whereas __________ describes a male's first ejaculation of sperm.

Accepted Answer

Menarche is the term used to describe the first occurrence of menstruation in a female, while spermarche is the term used to describe the first ejaculation of sperm in a male.

Question 8

Considerable increase in synaptic connections, particularly in the __________, occurs around the time puberty begins in a process that neuroscientists call __________.

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobes experience a considerable increase in synaptic connections around the time of puberty, a process known as synaptic exuberance. Pruning and myelination also occur in the brain during development, but not specifically around puberty and not necessarily in the frontal lobes. Occipital lobes are primarily responsible for vision and do not experience significant synaptic expansion during puberty.

Question 9

Your niece is a very intelligent person and is excelling in high school.In fact, it seems that she continues to get more intelligent, and she is doing especially well in biology, which she became interested in during middle school.What is happening to your niece, neurologically speaking?

Accepted Answer

Synaptic pruning is a neurological process that occurs during adolescence, where the brain eliminates excess synapses, allowing for more efficient neural connections, which can enhance cognitive abilities.

Question 10

Females are born with all of the ova that they will ever have.According to the text, the average female has __________ eggs at puberty while only __________ ova are released during the course of a woman's reproductive life.

Accepted Answer

According to the text, the average female has around 300,000 ova at puberty and only 400 ova are released during the course of a woman's reproductive life. Option B matches the given information. Options A, C, and D have higher numbers of initial ova and released ova, which are not supported by the text.

Question 11

Once a threshold of body fat is reached in middle childhood, chemical events are triggered in the brain that lead to __________.

Accepted Answer

Once a threshold of body fat is reached in middle childhood, chemical events are triggered in the brain that lead to the ovaries in girls and the testes in boys to increase production of the sex hormones. This is known as pubertal timing.

Question 12

Which of the following are two classes of sex hormones?

Accepted Answer

Estrogens and androgens are the two classes of sex hormones. Estrogens are primarily produced in the ovaries and play a role in the development and maintenance of female reproductive tissues, as well as secondary sex characteristics. Androgens are primarily produced in the testes and play a role in the development and maintenance of male reproductive tissues and secondary sex characteristics.

Question 13

Your daughter is 9 years old and you have been talking about the changes that she will soon be experiencing.One of the topics that you are discussing is what happens during menstruation and what she can expect.You tell her that the first menstrual period has a special name.What is it?

Accepted Answer

The first menstrual period is called menarche.

Question 14

The word puberty is derived from the Latin word pubescere, which means to grow __________.

Accepted Answer

The Latin word pubescere specifically refers to growing hair, which is a major physical sign of puberty.

Question 15

According to the text, how many sperm are in the typical ejaculation?

Accepted Answer

The text states "The average amount of semen per ejaculation is about a teaspoonful (5 milliliters) and contains anywhere from 100 million to 300 million sperm."

Question 16

Which areas of the brain are associated with planning, problem solving, and moral reasoning?

Accepted Answer

Planning, problem solving, and moral reasoning are all associated with the frontal lobes of the brain. This area is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as decision making, empathy, and impulse control.

Question 17

With regard to pubertal development for females, __________ is the most important estrogen, and for males, __________ is the most important androgen.

Accepted Answer

Estradiol is the most important estrogen for female pubertal development, as it facilitates the growth and development of the reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics. Testosterone is the most important androgen for male pubertal development, as it stimulates the growth and development of the male reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics. Option A and D are incorrect as they have the hormones assigned to the opposite sex. Option C is incorrect as estriol is not the primary estrogen involved in pubertal development.

Question 18

Your 15-year-old son has been what he calls "hormonal." He realizes that his emotions and feelings can be quite variable during this time of his life.In actuality, his levels of testosterone are about __________ than before puberty.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your 15-year-old son has been what he...

Question 19

You overheard your little sister and her best friend, who are both 8 years old, discussing what they thought about puberty and when they thought those changes would begin for them.Your sister is thin and her friend is considerably heavier.What is likely to occur in terms of the beginning of puberty for them?

Accepted Answer

Girls with more body fat often experience earlier onset of puberty. This is because body fat can influence the production of hormones responsible for the start of puberty.

Question 20

Thirteen-year-old Eric has developed tufts of hair under his arms.This change is what is known as one of the __________ sex characteristics.

Accepted Answer

Secondary sex characteristics are physical changes that occur during puberty that are not directly related to reproductive organs. Development of underarm hair is a typical example of a secondary sex characteristic.

Quiz 8: Adolescence

Laurel's brain is approximately 95% of its adult size.How old is Laurel?

What does the text describe as "a blanket of fat wrapped around the main part of the neuron" that serves the function of keeping the brain's electrical signals on one path and increasing their speed?

Which statement accurately describes the impact of synaptic pruning?

Pubertal changes begin when a threshold of __________ and results in biological changes in an adolescent's anatomy, physiology, and physical appearance.

Although produced in both males and females, by the mid-teens, estradiol production in females is times greater than it was before puberty, while testosterone production in males is times greater than it was before puberty.

Production of ova, or female eggs, and male sperm is a __________.

describes a female's first menstruation, whereas describes a male's first ejaculation of sperm.

Considerable increase in synaptic connections, particularly in the , occurs around the time puberty begins in a process that neuroscientists call .