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Prenatal Brain Development

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The prenatal and postnatal months are periods in which the brain experiences rapid growth, with changes continuing throughout childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. For instance, one cell can develop into an estimated 86 billion neural cells in forty weeks (lecture seven, 2016). Furthermore, the weight of the brain increases from being 4% of its adult weight five months after conception, to 25% at birth, 67% at age one, 90% at age five and 100% at age sixteen; although many internal changes continue through the early to mid-twenties (lecture seven, 2016; Spreen, Risser, & Egdell, 1995). It is thought that these significant changes in weight are due to the increase of glial cells, which have many functions such as in aiding neural transmission. …show more content…
Shortly after their formation, neural migration occurs which is where these neurons move from the neural tube (where they were formed) to where they are required. After birth and the first two years of life, is also a period of rapid growth, particularly of synapses (synaptogenesis). In this period, an overproduction of connections between neurons, known as synapses, are made. However, not all of these synapses will be needed in later life and thus they will be pruned by the process of synaptic pruning, starting at approximately age three. This occurs when an individual sleeps and is an important process (e.g., Fragile X syndrome is associated with excessive synapses and abnormal synaptic pruning (Cometry et al., 1997; lecture seven, 2016). neurons are programmed to receive certain input or stimulation during the period in which the formation of synapses are at a peak (lecture seven, 2016). In other words, some neurons are sensitive to experience-expectant information, or experience-dependent information. In the former, certain neurons are waiting for stimuli that are important to their …show more content…
According to Joseph (2000), the brainstem and midbrain are relatively well developed at birth. This is most likely because these areas of the brain are involved in basic reflexes, sensory processing and essential biological functions (e.g., respiration, digestion and elimination). These abilities are necessary for an infant to survive post-birth and thus this would explain why these areas are well-developed at birth. In contrast, however, the cortex continues to develop well into young adulthood. This part of the brain is responsible for but not limited to motor functioning, thinking, planning and problem-solving. Motor functioning tends to be the earliest to develop. This allows for a baby to begin grasping, crawling and eventually walking. Whilst, the frontal cortex is one of the last to mature and continues throughout adolescence and young adulthood (mid-twenties). This is because the frontal cortex or prefrontal cortex is associated with higher level cognition such as executive functioning skills. During these adolescent years, the axons in the frontal cortex region continue to grow and become myelinated which helps to speed the transmission of signals among neurons in this area and those in other areas (lecture seven, 2016; Paus, 2004). Finally, brain lateralisation or hemispheric specialization is also an important occurrence where the two hemispheres of the brain (left

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