BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

by Allynn Junio

BRAIN
Control Center for the movement, sleep, hunger, thirst, and other vital activity. All human emotions are controlled by the brain. It receives and interprets the countless signals that are sent to it from other parts of the body and from the external environment.

Brain Growth

AGE

BRAIN WEIGHT (GRAMS) 100 400 800 1100 1300 - 1400

20 WEEKS GESTATION BIRTH 18 MONTHS 3 YEARS OLD ADULT

A fourth month old fetus has three clearly separated brain regions:
Medulla
Cerebellum Cerebrum

By the middle of six month:

A dentlike fissure appears on the surface of the cerebrum.
Cortex- the seat of higher mental processes.

At birth, a babys brain contains 100 billion neurons with many nerve cells and a trillion glial cells.

Glial Cells- named Greek word for Glue.

after

the

It forms a kind of honeycomb that protects and nourishes the neurons.

A babys brain produces trillion more connections between neurons that it can possibly use.
Through a process of competition, the brain eliminates connections or synapses that are seldom or never used.

The excess synapses in a childs brain undergo a draconian pruning, starting around the age of 10 or earlier.

The Neuron

Synaptic production and pruning correspond with overall brain activity

Young childrens brains work harder and less efficiently than adults

ANATOMY AND COMPOSITION OF THE BRAIN

THREE DISTINCT BUT CONNECTED PARTS OF THE BRAIN

Cerebrum Cerebellum Brain stem

CEREBRUM
-Largest part of the human brain -85% of the brains weight

-Cortex is the large surface area of the brain

-Corpus Callosum- a slab of white nerve fiber that connects the two cerebral hemispheres and transfers important information from one to the other.

Cerebral Cortex
Outer layer of gray matter About 3 to 4mm thick
Four of the lobes Occipital Frontal Parietal Temporal lobes The fifth lobe is the insular is located internally and is not visible at the outside of the brain.

Major Areas of the Brain

Self-regulation, problem solving, goal setting, social cognition

Vision and perception

Sensory motor perception, spatial abilities

Hearing, language, memory, social emotional function

CEREBELLUM
Lies in the posterior part of the cranium underneath the cerebral hemispheres Composed of two multiridges hemispheres that are connected by the white fibers called the vermins. Cerebral Peduncles- connect the cerebellum to other parts of the brain

Essential to the control of movement of the human body in space.

Acts as reflex center for the coordination and precise maintenance of equilibrium.

Voluntary muscle tones are controlled by these vital parts.

Thalamus- part of the diencephalon consists of two rounded masses of gray tissue lying within the middle of the brain, between the two cerebral hemispheres.
Hypothalamus- lies just below the thalamus. Pons- located between the medulla and midbrain and it is directly in front of the cerebellum. Medulla Oblongata- situated between the spinal cord and pons. -it is a pyramid-shaped enlargement of the spinal cord.

Limbic System
Portions of the thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampsal formation, amygdala, caudate nucleus, septum, and mesencephalon make up a functional unit of the brain.

Emotional expression and memory storage and recall

BRAIN STEM
Usually refers to all structures lying between the cerebrum and the spinal cord.

Diencephalon Midbrain Pons Medulla

Brain is well protected by the cranium. It is covered by three membranes called meningis.
Dura Matter Arachhoid Layer

Pia Matter

How Brain Function is Developing

Brain areas with longest periods of organization related to self-regulation, problem-solving, language/communication Social bonding Most vigorous growth, pruning, connecting, and activity occurs between 1-1/2 years through 3 or 4 years old

Neuroscience is telling us that this may be one of the most important periods for developing self-regulation, problemsolving, social-emotional, and language/communication behaviors

Theories of Neuroscientist
1. A change occurs in the RNA in the cells of the cortex to code the memory trace in the brains protein material. 2. Peptides in the brain are activated as an event is being stored as memory. 3. Neurotransmitters are altered as impulses as stored.

Experience Can Change the Actual Structure of the Brain

Brain development is activity-dependent Every experience excites some neural circuits and leaves others alone Neural circuits used over and over strengthen, those that are not used are dropped resulting in pruning

Experience Can Change Brain Development

The brain is undergoing explosive growth in the first years of life and needs organizing experiences to facilitate development. Learning results in more consolidation of neuronal activitybrain activity becomes more efficient

Common Types of Central Nervous system birth defects

Anencephaly - defect in the neural tube Spina Bifida/ myelomeningocele - congenital disorder of the neural tube -most common defects ( 1 out of 800 infants) Embryo Toxins/ Teratogens

Teratogens
Alcohol Tobacco Medications and street drugs Environmental hazards

Embryo Infections
Cytomegalovirus - microcephaly Syphilis - meningitis -hydrocephalus - mental retardation Rubella (cerebral Palsy , mental retardation) Toxoplasmosis

Metabolic Disorders
Phenylketonuria 1 out15,000 children Hypothyroidism 1 in 4000 children

End