Deck 3: Physical Development and Biological Aging

Question 1

During the early childhood years, girls are generally _____ than boys.

A)much larger
B)much smaller
C)slightly larger
D)slightly smaller

Answer 1

slightly smaller

Question 2

Leon is about a half inch shorter than his peers.It could be because:

A)his parents are Caucasian.
B)he is the first-born child.
C)his mother smoked while pregnant.
D)he lives in the city.

Answer 2

his mother smoked while pregnant.

Question 3

Which growth pattern sequence indicates that growth progresses from the top of the body to the bottom?

A)cephalocaudal
B)proximodistal
C)paradistal
D)lateralization

Answer 3

cephalocaudal

Question 4

Sexual maturation and the development of reproductive maturity in girls are called:

A)menarche.
B)spermarche.
C)estrarche.
D)puberty.

Question 5

In prenatal development, the head and its features grow in size and differentiation before the neck, shoulders, trunk, and limbs.What is this pattern of development called?

A)proximodistal
B)cephalocaudal
C)congenital
D)hypothalmitic

Question 6

Sammi was born 3 days ago and has lost 3 percent of her body weight.Should her parents be concerned?

A)Yes.Sammi's parents should consult her pediatrician immediately.
B)No.Babies can safely lose between 5 and 7 percent of their body weight within the first few days after birth.
C)No.Babies can safely lose between 9 and 12 percent of their body weight within the first few days after birth.
D)Maybe.Sammi's parents should begin supplementing breast-feeding with baby formula and weigh her twice a day to ensure no more weight is lost.

Question 7

Average North American babies double their birth weight by what age?

A)1 month
B)4 months
C)8 months
D)10 months

Question 8

Which of the following changes are most pronounced in middle and late childhood?

A)changes in proportions
B)changes in weight
C)changes in height
D)changes in brain size

Question 9

According to the cephalocaudal growth pattern, which of the following is likely to show fast growth first?

A)legs
B)hands
C)brain
D)stomach

Question 10

Marcia's baby boy weighed 8 pounds at birth.How much should he weigh by 4 months of age?

A)10 pounds
B)12 pounds
C)16 pounds
D)24 pounds

Question 11

According to the proximodistal growth pattern, which of the following is likely to show growth earlier?

A)toes
B)fingers
C)fine motor skills
D)gross motor skills

Question 12

Which growth pattern sequence indicates that growth progresses from the center of the body toward the extremities?

A)cephalocaudal
B)proximodistal
C)paradistal
D)lateralization

Question 13

Menarche occurs during what part of puberty?

A)just before it
B)early
C)in the middle
D)rather late

Question 14

During the second year of life, a child's growth rate:

A)remains the same as growth rate in the first year of life.
B)accelerates considerably.
C)slows considerably.
D)accelerates for physical characteristics and slows for mental processes.

Question 15

What is the period of rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and bodily changes that occurs in early adolescence known as?

A)spermarche
B)gonadarche
C)puberty
D)menarche

Question 16

Which of the following statements about growth spurts is TRUE?

A)It occurs approximately two years earlier for boys than for girls.
B)It occurs approximately two years earlier for girls than for boys.
C)It occurs at approximately the same time for boys and girls.
D)It is highly variable and occurs at a range of ages during adolescence.

Question 17

Physical changes in middle and late childhood occur:

A)at approximately the same rate as those in adolescence.
B)more slowly than those in early childhood and more quickly than those in adolescence.
C)in three rapid spurts.
D)in a slow, consistent manner.

Question 18

Baby Kassie can slap the tray of the highchair but cannot pick up small pieces of cereal with her fingers yet.This is an example of:

A)a neurological disorder.
B)cephalocaudal growth.
C)a congenital birth defect.
D)proximodistal growth pattern.

Question 19

Beginning in early childhood, girls have more _____ tissue than boys and boys have more _____ tissue than girls.

A)fatty; muscle
B)organ; brain
C)brain; organ
D)muscle; fatty

Question 20

During early adolescence girls are generally _____ than boys.

A)taller
B)stronger
C)heavier
D)smarter

Question 21

Bill is just beginning to sense that he has less strength, especially in his back and legs.That he is experiencing age-related loss of lean muscle mass and strength tells us he is most likely in his _____.

A)20s
B)30s
C)40s
D)50s

Question 22

Thirteen-year-old Jodi smokes and has a 16-year-old boyfriend.What might have influenced Jodi's behavior?

A)amenorrhea
B)late maturation
C)early maturation
D)poor social skills

Question 23

_____ is a hormone associated in girls with breast, uterine, and skeletal development.

A)Cortisol
B)Estradiol
C)Androgens
D)Testosterone

Question 24

Joe is a late-maturing boy.How will his self-image in his 30s compare to the self-images of his early-maturing peers?

A)more negative
B)more positive
C)about the same
D)There has not been any research in this area.

Question 25

Samantha lives in the United States and was 14 1/2 years old when she experienced menarche.Samantha is:

A)slightly younger than average for menarche in Europe.
B)entering puberty outside of the lower end of the normal range.
C)within the normal range.
D)entering puberty outside of the upper end of the normal range.

Question 26

What are the chemical substances secreted by the endocrine glands that are carried by the bloodstream known as?

A)endorphins
B)neurotransmitters
C)gonads
D)hormones

Question 27

Andrea is an early-maturing adolescent.How does her self-image compare to the self-images of her late-maturing peers?

A)more negative
B)more positive
C)about the same
D)There has not been any research in this area.

Question 28

Thirteen-year-old Melissa's blood tests indicate testosterone levels twice as high as last year and estradiol levels eight times higher than last year.Melissa is most likely experiencing:

A)normal changes as a result of having entered puberty.
B)difficulties due to significant imbalances in hormonal levels.
C)abnormal development of male physical characteristics.
D)abnormally fast development of female physical characteristics.

Question 29

What is the class of hormones that stimulate the testes and the ovaries known as?

A)cortisols
B)gonadotropins
C)androgens
D)estradiols

Question 30

James is going through puberty quite early.Research indicates that James is likely to:

A)be rejected by his peers.
B)have a negative self-image.
C)have a positive self-image.
D)be highly successful in his later career.

Question 31

Which structure monitors eating and sex?

A)pituitary gland
B)hypothalamus
C)thyroid gland
D)adrenal gland

Question 32

Early maturation in girls is linked to which of the following?

A)problem behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and having an eating disorder
B)wreckless driving
C)overdependence on parents
D)low academic achievement

Question 33

Age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is called:

A)amenorrhea.
B)gonadarche.
C)osteoporosis.
D)sarcopenia.

Question 34

Which structure controls growth and regulates other glands?

A)pituitary gland
B)hypothalamus
C)gonad
D)thyroid gland

Question 35

_____ is a hormone associated in boys with the development of genitals, increases in height, and change of voice?

A)Cortisol
B)Estrogen
C)Estradiol
D)Testosterone

Question 36

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding puberty for girls and boys?

A)Testosterone is present in boys only, and estradiol is present is girls only.
B)The peak rate of pubertal change occurs at the age of 12 for both boys and girls.
C)Both male and female adolescents are preoccupied with their bodies.
D)In the United States, children mature up to two years later than children in European countries.

Question 37

Which of the following factors affects puberty's timing and makeup?

A)nutrition
B)health
C)eating patterns and stress
D)all of these

Question 38

The age at which puberty arrives dropped quickly throughout the 20^th century.What might account for this change?

A)greenhouse effects on climate
B)improved health and nutrition
C)less manual labor requirements for adolescents
D)trace amounts of radiation from electric appliances

Question 39

Janice is 75.How does her height MOST likely compare to when she was 25?

A)She is a ¼ inch shorter.
B)She is a ½ inch shorter.
C)She is an inch shorter.
D)She is two inches shorter.

Question 40

Body fat accounts for _____ percent of body weight in adolescence and _____ percent or more in middle adulthood.

A)10; 20
B)15; 25
C)5; 15
D)20; 25

Question 41

Which of the following does NOT affect cholesterol levels?

A)blood pressure
B)blood type
C)eating low-fat foods
D)exercise

Question 42

At 51, Beverly is experiencing nausea, fatigue, and rapid heartbeat.A blood test reveals very low levels of estrogen.Beverly is most likely experiencing symptoms of:

A)climacteric.
B)amenorrhea.
C)menarche.
D)menopause.

Question 43

Communication in the synapses occurs through the release of chemical substances known as:

A)neurotransmitters.
B)neurons.
C)dendrites.
D)axons.

Question 44

Which structure is responsible for about 80 percent of the brain's volume and critical to perception, thinking, and language?

A)forebrain
B)cerebral cortex
C)left hemisphere
D)hippocampus

Question 45

Mac is 63 years old.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Mac's artery walls are thinning.
B)Mac's blood pressure will remain about the same as it was in his 40s.
C)Mac's blood cholesterol is increasing and deposits are beginning to accumulate on artery walls.
D)Proteins in Mac's lung tissue are becoming more elastic.

Question 46

When does maximum bone density occur?

A)early 20s
B)mid-20s
C)early 30s
D)mid-30s

Question 47

Which brain lobe is responsible for hearing, language processing, and memory?

A)frontal
B)occipital
C)temporal
D)parietal

Question 48

Which of the following functions occur primarily in the left hemisphere of the brain?

A)performing music and other creative functions
B)reading and other complex, logical functions
C)humor and the use of metaphors
D)speech and grammar

Question 49

Hypertension and stroke are signs of which of the following in older adults?

A)changes in the neural system
B)changes in the digestive system
C)changes in the circulatory system
D)changes in the musculoskeletal system

Question 50

Although physical decline is inevitable in older age:

A)there is considerable individual variability in rates of decline in functioning.
B)height remains the same.
C)muscle tone remains about the same.
D)physical appearance does not change significantly.

Question 51

The hippocampus lies deeper in the brain, beneath the cortex, and plays an important role in which of the following?

A)memory and emotion
B)attention and impulse control
C)fine motor skills
D)critical and creative thinking

Question 52

Which brain lobe is responsible for voluntary movement, thinking, personality, and intentionality or purpose?

A)frontal
B)occipital
C)temporal
D)parietal

Question 53

Specialization of functions in one hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is called:

A)myelination.
B)neuronal interconnectedness.
C)lateralization.
D)dendritic spreading.

Question 54

Which brain lobe is responsible for vision?

A)frontal
B)occipital
C)temporal
D)parietal

Question 55

A condition characterized by hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance is:

A)sarcopenia.
B)puberty.
C)climacteric.
D)metabolic syndrome.

Question 56

Just as _____ has been coming earlier, _____ has been coming later.

A)puberty; menarche
B)sperarche; menarche
C)puberty; menopause
D)menopause; menarche

Question 57

Which brain lobe is responsible for registering spatial location, attention, and motor control?

A)frontal
B)occipital
C)temporal
D)parietal

Question 58

At 45 years old, Susan is having difficulty trying to conceive a child.She is likely beginning to experience:

A)amenorrhea.
B)menarche.
C)climacteric.
D)final menstruation.

Question 59

What explanation BEST accounts for why those older than 60 lose weight?

A)They exercise more regularly.
B)They eat smaller meals.
C)They experience muscle loss.
D)Their metabolism speeds up.

Question 60

What is the layer of fat cells that helps electrical impulses travel faster along the axon of a neuron?

A)dendrite
B)cerebral cortex
C)myelin sheath
D)synapse

Question 61

Which neurotransmitter has been associated with increased reward-seeking and risk-taking in adolescence?

A)dopamine
B)acetylcholine
C)testosterone
D)estradiol

Question 62

Leonard's blood test shows a major reduction in dopamine.The effect of this may be responsible for:

A)decreased visual acuity.
B)symptoms of Alzheimer disease.
C)symptoms of Parkinson disease.
D)increased impulsivity.

Question 63

A newborn's brain is _____ percent of its adult weight and grows to _____ percent of its adult weight by 2 years of age.

A)10; 20
B)15; 25
C)25; 50
D)25; 75

Question 64

Which area of baby Van's brain shows an increased brain activity when listening to speech sounds?

A)right hemisphere
B)left hemisphere
C)occipital lobe
D)parietal lobe

Question 65

Seventeen-year-old Jake tends to take risks while driving and is quick-tempered.This lack of self-control and reasoning may be due to the later development of the:

A)corpus callosum.
B)prefrontal cortex.
C)amygdala.
D)synapses.

Question 66

What is meant by the "blooming and pruning" analogy of brain development?

A)The brain produces many more dendrite and synapse connections than it uses (blooming).Unused connections disappear or are replaced (pruning).
B)Early brain function is not specialized by location (blooming).Lateralization (pruning) occurs around 2 years of age.
C)Myelination produces the brain's bumpy surface (blooming).Brain activity and learning smoothes this surface (pruning).
D)Areas of the brain mature gradually and uniformly during the first half of life (blooming) and decline in the same manner during the second half of life (pruning).

Question 67

Cognitive control involves all of the following EXCEPT:

A)inhibiting motor actions.
B)controlling attention.
C)reducing interfering thoughts.
D)improved vocabulary.

Question 68

Michael Rehbein had the left hemisphere of his brain removed in order to stop seizures.After much therapy, the right side of his brain began to reorganize and take over left hemisphere functions.This example supports the neuroscientific belief that what "wires" the brain is:

A)repeated experience.
B)lateralization.
C)not affected by seizures.
D)housed in the right hemisphere.

Question 69

Ora's blood test shows a major reduction in acetylcholine.The effect of this may be responsible for:

A)slowing of motor reflexes.
B)symptoms of Alzheimer disease.
C)symptoms of Parkinson disease.
D)increased impulsivity.

Question 70

Research shows that living in a deprived environment:

A)does not significantly affect brain development.
B)promotes greater brain development as compensation for impoverished conditions.
C)depresses brain activity.
D)is not reversible regardless of future experiences in better conditions.

Question 71

What happens to the brain's weight and volume as it ages?

A)weight increases, volume decreases
B)volume increases, weight decreases
C)weight and volume increase
D)weight and volume decrease

Question 72

Which of the following statements about brain lateralization is NOT true?

A)Complex functions like performing music involve both hemispheres.
B)The right and left hemispheres of the brain handle different types of information.
C)People who are logical thinkers are left-brained, and creative thinkers are right-brained.
D)Complex thinking requires communication between both hemispheres.

Question 73

The amygdala, which is the "seat" of emotions such as anger, matures much earlier than the prefrontal cortex.This may account for which of the following?

A)adolescents' increased information processing speed
B)adolescents' risky, impulsive behavior
C)early onset of puberty
D)adolescents' sharper self-regulatory skills

Question 74

Which of the following functions occur primarily in the right hemisphere of the brain?

A)performing music and other creative functions
B)reading and other complex, logical functions
C)humor and the use of metaphors
D)speech and grammar

Question 75

The prefrontal cortex, which is the highest level of the frontal lobes, is involved in reasoning, decision making, and self-control.It finishes most of its development during:

A)early childhood.
B)late adolescence.
C)emerging adulthood.
D)older adulthood.

Question 76

Adolescents are often characterized as impulsive and emotional.This behavior may be due to immature development in which area of the brain?

A)temporal lobe
B)right hemisphere
C)left hemisphere
D)prefrontal cortex

Question 77

Thirteen-year-old Jonathan is impulsive and emotional.This may be due to increased activity and growth in the:

A)amygdala.
B)frontal lobes.
C)GABA.
D)hypothalamus.

Question 78

Anya is growing up in an orphanage and receives very little emotional, mental, or physical stimulation and nurture.Anya's brain development will likely be:

A)the same as peers raised in enriched environments.
B)greater than peers raised in enriched environments.
C)depressed compared to peers raised in enriched environments.
D)greater than her biological parents.

Question 79

Brain pathways and circuitry in the _____ continue to increase in middle and late childhood.

A)hippocampus
B)hypothalamus
C)prefrontal cortex
D)parietal lobe

Question 80

The corpus callosum, which connects the brain's left and right hemispheres, thickens in adolescence, and this improves adolescents' ability to:

A)process information.
B)reason and make decisions.
C)learn foreign languages.
D)control aggressive behavior.