Prenatal Development
Life begins at this moment when a sperm and egg fuse
What is conception?
Automatic, unlearned behaviors newborns are born with to help with survival
What are reflexes?
A biological growth process that unfolds in a fixed sequence but can be influenced by experience
What is maturation?
The fertilized egg formed at conception
What is a zygote?
When a baby turns its head toward a cheek touch and opens its mouth
What is the rooting reflex?
A decrease in responsiveness after repeated exposure to the same stimulus
What is habituation?
The three stages of prenatal development in correct order
What are the germinal stage, embryonic stage, and fetal stage?
This reflex allows newborns to feed effectively
What is the sucking reflex?
The reason humans remember very few events from before age 4
What is infantile amnesia
This structure transfers oxygen and nutrients from mother to fetus but cannot block all harmful substances
What is the placenta?
Newborns prefer these visual and auditory stimuli shortly after birth
What are face-like images and human voices?
The process where frequently used neural connections are strengthened and unused ones are eliminated
What is the pruning process?
When major organs and structures begin to form, making it especially vulnerable to damage
What is the embryonic stage?
This reflex helps babies cling to caregivers for protection
What is the grasping reflex?
The brain structures still maturing that explain infantile amnesia
What are the hippocampus and frontal lobes?