PSYA02H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Gestational Age, Prenatal Development, Zygote
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PSYA02H3 Full Course Notes
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Zygotes to infants: from one cell to billions. Shortly after it forms, the zygote begins dividing, first into two cells then four then eight, etc. It also begins travelling down the fallopian tubes towards the uterus where it becomes implanted into the lining of the uterus: the ball of cells, now called a blastocyst, splits into two groups. The inner group of cells develops into the fetus. Muscles develop and the fetus begins to move. It caused miscarriages, severe birth defects such as blindness and deafness, plus its most well known effect, phocomelia, in whi(cid:272)h (cid:448)i(cid:272)ti(cid:373)s" ha(cid:374)ds, feet, o(cid:396) (cid:271)oth e(cid:373)e(cid:396)ged directly from their shoulders or hips, functioning more like flippers than limbs. Synaptogenesis and synaptic pruning serve to increase neural efficiency by strengthening needed connections between nerve cells and weeding out unnecessary ones. Synaptogenesis: describes the forming of new synaptic connections, which occurs at blinding speed through infancy and childhood, and continues through the lifespan.
