PSYCH 3GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Neural Development, Synaptic Pruning, Amniotic Sac

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 3GG3
• Professor: Mel Rutherford

Document Summary

Meiosis - the process by which sex cells - eggs and sperm - are produced: we will focus on how the process of meiosis results in a unique genome. Functions of meiosis: reshuffling genetic information, halving the genetic content. Crossover - each chromosome breaks off an identical piece and trades these pieces - creates genetic variance. Prenatal development: germinal - conception to 3 weeks, embryonic - 3rd to 8th week. Zygote - the fertilized egg, which is still in the single stage. It develops a basic body plan (head develops first: by 8 weeks, the embryo is moving, but it is so small that the women cannot feel it, and movements are not coordinated. From 20 weeks, they begin growing hair and eyebrows and eyelashes and the skin begins to thicken so that they can hold temperature: at 28 weeks old, the baby may be able to live on its own.