PSY 244 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Myelin, Corpus Callosum, Asian Americans
Document Summary
Chapter 5: the child"s growth: brain, body, motor skills, and sexual maturation. The brain develops very fast (is 3/4 the size of a mature brain at two years old) Cerebral cortex: covering layer of the cerebrum that contains the cells that control specific functions such as seeing, hearing, moving, and thinking. At birth, a baby"s brain has most of its neurons: 100-200 billion of them. Neuron proliferation: rapid formation of neurons in the developing organism"s brain (embryonic period) 250,00 neurons per minute wtf. Glial cells: nerve cell that supports and protects neurons and serves to encase them in myelin sheaths. Myelination: process by which glial cells encase neurons in sheaths of the fatty substance myelin. More efficient transmission; most occurs during the first two years of life. Neural migration: movement of neurons within the brain that ensures that all brain areas have a sufficient number of neural connections.
