| A | B |
|---|
| Scienctific Method | A way to answer questions using empirical research and data-based conclusions |
| Critical Period | time when a particular type of developmental growth must happen for normal development to occur |
| sensitive period | time when a certain type of development is most likely, although it may still happen later with more difficulty |
| psychoanalytic theory | theory of human development that holds that irrational, unconscious drives and motives, often originating in childhood, underlie human behavior |
| dependent variable | in an experiment, the variable that may change as a result of whatever new condition or situation the experimenter adds |
| independent variable | in an experiment, the variable that is introduced to see what effect it has on the dependent variable |
| correlation | indicates only that two variables may be somehow related, not that one variable causes the other |
| zygote | single cell that is formed from the fusing of two gametes, a sperm and ovum |
| allele | any of the possible forms of a gene. |
| genotype | an organsim's entire genetic inheritance, or genetic potential |
| genome | the full set of genes for a certain species |
| stem cells | cells from which any other specialized type of cell can form |
| anoxia | a lack of oxygen that, if prolonged, can cause brain damage or death |
| teratogen | any agen or condition, including viruses, drugs, and chemicals, that can impair prenatal development, resulting in birth defects or complications |
| REM | a stage of sleep characterized by flickering eyes behind cosed lids |
| neurons | nerve cells in the central nervous system, especially in the brain |
| axons | fibers that extend from neurons and transmit electrochemical impuls from that neuron to the dendrites of other neurons |
| babbling | the extended repetition of certain syllables |
| perception | the mental processsing of sensory information when the brain interprets a sensation |
| sensation | the response of a sensory system when it detects a stimulus |
